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Ready for hurricane season?
Storms peak time starts June 1
hurricanephoto
A hurricane approaches the Southeast coast of the United States. - photo by NOAA file photo

Post preparations
Tuesday night Fort Stewart officials had a community briefing for soldiers and their families. The briefing was one of two held each year to ensure that everyone is ready to respond to any emergency or severe weather situation.

Evacuation
In the event of a hurricane evacuation in Liberty County, most residents will use the evacuation routes along Highway 144, the Fort Stewart gate to Glennville.

Recalling the last time a hurricane actually struck the coast of Georgia is hard for most people, even storm-tracking professionals.  
“I would have to do some historical research on that one,” Dennis Feltgen of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association said, while on his cell phone in Miami. “Was it David?”
In fact, it was.
In 1979, the category 2 storm hit Palm Beach, Fla., and then the Georgia coast with 80 mile an hour winds, just days after it wreaked havoc in Barbados and the Dominican Republic, killing 1,500 people.
Since then, there have been watches and warnings issued, such as in 1999 for Hurricane Floyd, but nothing comes close to the devastation David brought.
But officials say coastal residents shouldn’t count on the luck continuing.
“Every piece of real estate along the Atlantic coast has been hit by a hurricane at some point,” Feltgen said. “[The Georgia coast] will get hit. It is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when.”
According to Mike Hodges, director of the Liberty County-Hinesville Emergency Management Agency, hurricane scientists have forecast six named hurricanes for this year’s season, which begins June 1.
Having a hurricane kit is good idea, according to Ricky Jones, a manager at Lowes in Hinesville.
He said there are important items every home should have, including a generator, sheets of plywood and hurricane window clips to hold the plywood over windows.
“One pack of hurricane clips will cover like five windows,” Jones said. “And what you would spend on a generator would be the same amount for food that could spoil in your refrigerator. It is better to get these items now, instead of waiting to the last minute. You never know when we are going to run out.”
Feltgen said the NOAA shares in Hodge’s and Jones’ philosophies.
“What our message is,” Feltgen said, “is that you need to prepare for the hurricane season as if this is the year you are going to get a storm. It only takes one storm to make it a very bad year for you.”
“The best thing [people] can do for themselves is be informed, stay aware,” Hodges said. “You know what’s best for you, what’s required for you in the event you have to evacuate, what you need. Do you have money? Do you have enough medication to last you? If you are a dialysis patient, do you have a plan in the event that you need to get a treatment? What will you do with your pets?”
“And most importantly share information. Let people know where you are going.”

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3rd ID, Army, allies mourn four soldiers lost in accident
Farewell ceremony set for Thursday morning in Lithuanian capital
four soldiers

The four U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry found deceased near Pabradė, Lithuania have been identified.  

The Army has confirmed the four soldiers who died when their vehicle sank into a bog as Staff Sgt. Edvin Franco, 25, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez, 25, PFC Dante Taitano, 21, and Staff Sgt. Troy Knutson-Collins, 28.

"First and foremost, we offer condolences to the loved ones of our soldiers,” said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “I can't say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies - and our own sailors, airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers - have enabled us to find and bring home our soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.” 

The four soldiers, who were the crew of a M88A2 armored recovery vehicle, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25. Their vehicle eventually was found March 26 but it was beneath approximately 14 feet of water and sunk into more than six feet of mud.

Crews worked to drain the area around the vehicle to make it stable for heavy equipment needed to pull out the M88. U.S. Navy divers were flown in and attached cables to hoist points so the submerged vehicle could be lifted out of the bog.

"This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd ID commanding general. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.” 

Knutson-Collins, Duenez Jr., and Franco were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.

Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with over seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2018 and was assigned to 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion.

Knutson-Collins graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course. He deployed to Korea in 2020.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Master Technician Badge.

“Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit,” said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander, Foxtrot Company, 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion. “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.”

“The pain we feel from this loss is insurmountable,” said Lt. Col. Erick Buckner, 1/41 Field Artillery Battalion commander. “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.”

“We are incredibly relieved that we were able to bring this recovery to an end and bring closure to all the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division, who also grew up on Fort Stewart. “We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially the Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission. Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade.” 

Throughout the seven-day recovery effort, the combined and joint team worked day and night to find the soldiers. 

“As the fourth and final soldier has been recovered from this tragic accident, we will continue to mourn their loss as we work to quickly return our Dog Face Soldiers home to their families,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general of V Corps and former Fort Stewart and 3rd ID commanding general. “It has been truly amazing and very humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together and give everything to recover our Soldiers. Thank you, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the U.S. Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are forever grateful.” 

All four soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to provide credible ground deterrence alongside Allies and partners, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart. 

“I'm immensely proud of our entire team. They have been relentless in their efforts to search and recover our soldiers and get every capability and asset necessary to enable this effort,” Gen. Donahue said. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also posted on X his sorrow at the loss of the four soldiers.

“I want to personally extend my deepest condolences to the families of all four fallen soldiers,” he wrote. “Our hearts are heavy across the Department of Defense. We are deeply grateful to our brave servicemembers who enabled this difficult recovery and to our Lithuanian hosts who labored alongside them. The recovery was conducted with urgency, resolve and deep respect for the fallen. We will never forget these soldiers — and our prayers are with their families.”

A farewell ceremony for the soldiers will be held Thursday morning in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.

“Every soldier is also a Lithuanian soldier, and their families’ pain is our pain,” said a statement from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.

The U.S. Army is investigating the cause of the accident. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. 

"We continue to stand by the families and loved ones through this incredibly difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Norrie. “Now, it’s time to bring them home.” 

 

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