The U.S. Army has identified Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan, as the fourth soldier who died in a training accident in Lithuania.
The three other soldiers who died in the accident were identified earlier as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.
Knutson-Collins, Duenez, and Franco were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, the Army said.
The soldiers were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and went missing during a recovery mission on March 25 while operating an M88A2 Hercules vehicle at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, roughly 6 miles west of the Belarus border.
The 63-ton armored vehicle was found submerged in 15 feet of water in a peat bog the day after they were reported missing. Recovery was difficult due to the terrain, the Army said.
The bodies of Duenez, Franco, and Taitano were recovered on Monday after the rescue team successfully removed the vehicle from the bog.
“Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding officer.
“We will continue to care for and support the Soldiers’ Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory.”
Knutson-Collins served as an artillery mechanic with over seven years in the Army and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. He arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2018 and had previously deployed to Korea in 2020.
“Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit. Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss,” said his commander, Capt. Jackson Patillo of Foxtrot Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment.
Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment commander, added: “The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable. Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins was well loved throughout our unit and a brother to all. He was an expert, an incredibly talented mechanic and a warrior. We will never forget his dedication to his unit, his family and his country.”
The three other soldiers who died were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.
In the earlier Army statement, Capt. Madyson K. Wellens described Duenez as “the definition of a silent professional” and Franco as having “an infectious smile and genuine joy.”
Capt. Matthew Lund remembered Taitano as “the spark of the team” who “wore a smile on his face no matter the environment or task.”
A formal departure ceremony is scheduled for Thursday in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, with top Lithuanian officials and military leaders expected to attend. The soldiers’ remains will eventually be transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
