FORT STEWART, Ga. — The U.S. Army has identified the fourth soldier based out of Georgia’s Fort Stewart who died during a recovery mission in Lithuania.
Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan, was confirmed on Wednesday as one of the fallen soldiers.
“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 general. “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, along with fellow soldiers Jose Duenez Jr. and Edvin Franco, was posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.
An artillery mechanic with more than seven years of service, Knutson-Collins arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2018 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, according to the Army. He was also deployed to Korea in 2020.
“Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,” said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander of Foxtrot Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. “Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member of our entire Fox family that we will truly miss.”
The soldiers went missing the morning of March 25. Their vehicle was then located submerged in a mix of mud, water and silt in a forested area near Lithuania’s border with Belarus.
According to the U.S. Army, the soldiers were found after hundreds of rescue workers with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces and other members of the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies.
Recovery efforts have included digging and pumping to clear the site and dive teams have also been deployed. The M88 Hercules the soldiers were operating in was estimated at one point to be about four meters (roughly 13 feet) below the surface.
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Several loved ones have since started online fundraisers to help their families raise money for their burials. Here is a list of fundraisers to help support the families:
- Help SPC Tatiano’s Family in Their Time of Need
- In Memory of Jose Duenez Jr.
- Jose’s Life of Service: Help support Kai and Baby Jr
- Support for Duenez & Franco Families
- Georgia and the 3 families of missing soldiers in Lithuania