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Missing U.S. soldiers' vehicle found submerged more than 16 feet in peat bog
NBC News ^ | March 27, 2025 | Astha Rajvanshi

Posted on 03/27/2025 12:35:07 PM PDT by McGruff

Rescuers in Lithuania were digging in a peat bog Thursday as they tried to recover the submerged vehicle of four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a training exercise earlier this week.

The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was found more than 16 feet under water Wednesday, a day after the soldiers went missing while training with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement.

The U.S. Army said in a statement Thursday that the “search and recovery” for the soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, was ongoing.

The recovery effort, which have been underway for the last 48 hours, has required specialized equipment to pump water and mud from the site and stabilize the soft ground of the surrounding area, which will allow it to support the heavy equipment needed to recover the vehicle.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: European Union; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bog; m88hercules
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1 posted on 03/27/2025 12:35:07 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: McGruff

Google Maps can be wrong.


2 posted on 03/27/2025 12:37:18 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: McGruff

Thats where they most likely will be found.

I know where a D7 cat is in a bog. Its only 87 feet down.


3 posted on 03/27/2025 12:38:20 PM PDT by crz
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To: McGruff

Did not get the memo.


4 posted on 03/27/2025 12:38:31 PM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: McGruff
M88A2 Hercules 112,000lbs


5 posted on 03/27/2025 12:42:37 PM PDT by tlozo
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To: McGruff

Anybody from the upper midwest can tell you all about those bogs.

I’ve been on them where you walk and it looks like waves on a lake several feet away from you.

There is cranberry bushes, peat moss, and later stages, black spruce grow on them.

MN has to be the champion state for them.

Cut many a cord of black spruce off from them.


6 posted on 03/27/2025 12:45:39 PM PDT by crz
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To: tlozo

doesn’t appear to be amphibious.


7 posted on 03/27/2025 12:47:46 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: crz

We have them near us, ever seen one on fire? Unbelievably dangerous.


8 posted on 03/27/2025 12:48:57 PM PDT by singletrack (..................................................................)
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To: crz

“I know where a D7 cat is in a bog. Its only 87 feet down.”

I was digging out a pond outside of Nashville on a D2 one fine morning when I noticed I had no traction. The pond had been dry for years but I guess not dry enough. Soon i noticed I was sinking and blowing viscous blue clay out the back of the tracks. I shut down and got off only to see the dozer sink to the cab. We called one of the big wreckers to pull me out and he thought it was so funny he did it for free. Life lesson.


9 posted on 03/27/2025 12:50:59 PM PDT by dljordan
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To: McGruff

What a horrible way to die. RIP brave men.

Probably thought they were driving onto dry land when they set out onto the bog.


10 posted on 03/27/2025 12:51:17 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (PDJT doesn’t just walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He swaggers.)
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To: McGruff

It’s a bitch when the recovery vehicle gets sunk in the mud.


11 posted on 03/27/2025 12:51:23 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: McGruff

What a suck way to die


12 posted on 03/27/2025 12:52:18 PM PDT by MrRelevant
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To: McGruff
We used to have the rasputitsa (roadless season) in central Illinois where I lived for many years. Spent a small fortune graveling paths on my rural property to get anywhere I needed to go just on foot. Armored vehicles are a liability under such conditions. Our military has been oriented towards desert environments for several decades, so I wonder if hazards like this are too little appreciated?
13 posted on 03/27/2025 12:56:01 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: MrRelevant

Yes, and what a suck age to die at.


14 posted on 03/27/2025 12:56:07 PM PDT by OKSooner (Oh, the mad fools!)
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To: McGruff

How does that work when one deploys to another country for an exercise ?

No locals embedded ? No Lithuanians there to say “watch out for those peat bogs “ ?

Without embedded locals what’s the reason for having the exercises ?


15 posted on 03/27/2025 1:00:04 PM PDT by OldHarbor
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To: McGruff

Military training is inherently dangerous, heavy equipment, low or no light, unfamiliar terrain. The miracle is that things like this do not happen more often.

It takes rigorous attention to detail and constant awareness of your situation to keep safe. I suspect this was a wrong turn during a night movement, then disaster as seemingly firm ground gave way suddenly.


16 posted on 03/27/2025 1:00:09 PM PDT by drop 50 and fire for effect ("Work relentlessly, accomplish much, remain in the background, and be more than you seem.")
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From Google Maps, it all looks like mid-density conifer forest with a number of clear-cut lanes, probably for utility easements, railroads and the like. The proving ground looks like cleared forest. Did not see even a few retention ponds or small lakes. Which again, exposes Google Maps’ weakness. Sad story.


17 posted on 03/27/2025 1:08:46 PM PDT by StAnDeliver (TrumpII)
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To: crz

“Its only 87 feet down.”

Whoa. As you know, amazing finds have been made in bogs. Now I’m thinking about all the undiscovered treasures of various kinds littering them.


18 posted on 03/27/2025 1:12:15 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The road is a dangerous place man, you can die out here...or worse. -Johnny Paycheck, 1980, Reno, NV)
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To: tlozo

The pic you provided is an M88A1. The Hercules is an A2 weighing 140,000 lbs. It is distinguishable as it has M1 style armor along the upper tracks along with a square type boom.

No offense. Just wanted to update the readers of the difference.


19 posted on 03/27/2025 1:12:26 PM PDT by Deepeasttx ( Sensitivity/diversity training are all un-walled reeducation camps....for now.. DEI gone. Yippee)
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To: drop 50 and fire for effect

Very cogent and on point comment, thanks.


20 posted on 03/27/2025 1:14:30 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The road is a dangerous place man, you can die out here...or worse. -Johnny Paycheck, 1980, Reno, NV)
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