After the tragedy in Pabrade searches for mistakes and lessons

When journalists were first admitted to the tragedy, the pit where the armor was drowned was not yet touched. It was hard to believe how a 70 -tonne machine was in a pit with a width as the armored vehicles itself.

In the first hours after disappearance, Americans had come to this pit.

« In the beginning, there was no much attention, it was thought that the soldiers were simply unable to enter there.

The armor disappeared during the exercise early on the morning of March 25, when it was still dark. Initially, one Americans were looking for help, and after about 12 hours, they turned to Lithuania.

It is not spoken publicly, but this is mentioned as one of the mistakes – the American army could seek help earlier. It is perfectly understood that the military does not have the equipment needed for the search. When Lithuania joined the operation, everything went smoothly.

« During the last eight days, the support of Lithuanian leaders was incredible. Your president was on the spot, the minister was many times. Everything we wanted was given to this operation, » said Curtis Taylor, commander of US forces in Lithuania.

As it turned out later, even after finding an armored, the soldiers would probably not have succeeded. The signs indicate that the armored vehicles were drowning quickly. A soldier could have been washed in strong currents in the armored vehicles.

« Probably the force of water and dirt, with which the armor was in the water, could simply throw the warrior out of the car through pressure, » said Remigijus Baltrėnas, Chief of the Armed Forces Defense Staff.

That it was drowning quickly, it seems that three soldiers found in their place inside the armored vehicles.

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« Just as they would go standard, it looked like. And the driver, as it owns, was nothing new, nothing special – a standard procedure, » commented R. Baltrėnas.

Another tragedy lesson is more positive because there was no experience in any military. The divers descended to a depth of several meters in the dark, the body -bound sludge. Hugging a hose that only took the way to that moment.

What the divers experienced is a nightmare for those with claustrophobia.

Even in difficult conditions, military members talked about horror when the sludge surrounds and imprison the body at a depth of several meters, in the cold, in the dark.

« The divers told us that every time the hose stopped acting, the sludge surrounded their body. One of the first comments was what was a terrible experience, » Taylor said.

The cause of the tragedy will be explained by the American army: could the armored vehicles at all be driven by this swamp, which is marked on the maps? Didn’t another vehicle be accompanied by an armored vehicle? Was the armored hatches open while driving?

« The investigation of what happened and what causes is done in the US. And as soon as the investigation is conducted, they will be the decision to share it or not, » noted Baltrėnas.

In the early days, even in the corridors of the authorities, there was anxiety, whether the death of four Americans in the Lithuanian swamp would not become a pretext for D. Trump’s office to reduce soldiers in Lithuania. After the enormous help of Lithuania, the opposite happened – the Americans feel grateful and owe. Lithuanian leaders say they have not helped from the deduction.

« Beautiful, natural behavior, which has certainly not been lightened by any rational deduction – how much it will cost us, or we will get any other battalion, » said Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.

The most convinced American society was convincing and excited by the Lithuanians saying goodbye to the dead soldiers. When hundreds of people gathered uninvited, tears were shed and the entire center of Vilnius stopped, immersed in silence.

P. Adamovich/Photo by BNS

There are hundreds of similar American comments about Lithuanians:

« The way the Lithuanians responded to finding and rescuing, I was pressured by tears, especially given how Trump treats our allies, » the woman wrote.

« I, the veteran of the American army, was not overwhelmed by the fact that the soldiers were united. But the people of Lithuania who filled the streets to honor our dead soldiers, » the man said.

« We, the people of America, are very grateful for their help. Thank you for helping to bring our troops back home, » the commentator said.

« Soldiers in America are highly respected. The work of Lithuanians to return them above everything, » commented another person.