[Page S3012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 237--HONORING THE SERVICE AND MEMORY OF ARMY STAFF 
SGT. JOSE DUENEZ JR., ARMY STAFF SGT. EDVIN F. FRANCO, ARMY STAFF SGT. 
  TROY S. KNUTSON-COLLINS, AND ARMY PFC. DANTE D. TAITANO OF THE 1ST 
 ARMORED BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION, WHO DIED DURING A 
RECOVERY MISSION IN SUPPORT OF A REGULARLY SCHEDULED TRAINING EXERCISE 
                       WHILE SERVING IN LITHUANIA

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Schumer, Mr. McConnell, 
Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Coons, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Peters, Ms. 
Slotkin, and Mr. Padilla) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 237

       Whereas four United States soldiers, Army Staff Sgt. Jose 
     Duenez Jr., Army Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, Army Staff Sgt. 
     Troy S. Knutson-Collins, and Army Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, were 
     all members of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd 
     Infantry Division stationed at Pabrade training ground, 
     Lithuania, since February 2025;
       Whereas these four United States soldiers were part of a 
     rotational deployment of 3,500 members of the United States 
     Armed Forces as part of the United States-led NATO Operation 
     Atlantic Resolve to enhance deterrence along the NATO 
     alliance's eastern flank;
       Whereas the bodies of these four United States soldiers 
     were found on March 31 and April 1, 2025, after a tragic 
     accident while conducting a mission to repair and tow an 
     immobilized vehicle when their heavy recovery vehicle sank in 
     a bog;
       Whereas the accident triggered a complex and weeklong 
     recovery effort with hundreds of allied United States, 
     Lithuanian, Polish, and Estonian personnel and equipment to 
     finally extract them from the mud;
       Whereas in the spirit of allied solidarity, thousands of 
     Lithuanians, including Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, 
     joined a farewell ceremony on April 3, 2025, in a moving 
     gesture to mourn the deaths of these four United States 
     soldiers before their bodies were returned to the United 
     States;
       Whereas Staff Sgt. Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois, was 
     a M1 Abrams tank system maintainer with more than seven years 
     in the Army, whose decorations included the Army Commendation 
     Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with two 
     oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal, and National 
     Defense Service Medal;
       Whereas Staff Sgt. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California, was 
     a M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who served in the Army for 
     more than six years, whose awards and decorations included 
     the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army 
     Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct 
     Medal, National Defense Service Medal; and Global War on 
     Terror Service Medal;
       Whereas Staff Sgt. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, 
     Michigan, was an artillery mechanic with more than seven 
     years in the Army whose awards and decorations included 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;
       Whereas Pfc. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, was a M1 Abrams 
     tank system maintainer who served in the Army for nearly two 
     years and was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal; 
     and
       Whereas these four United States soldiers served with 
     distinction, upheld the highest traditions of the United 
     States Army, and were part of a critical allied NATO mission 
     to protect freedom from Russian aggression: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the memory and service of Army Staff Sgt. Jose 
     Duenez Jr., Army Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, Army Staff Sgt. 
     Troy S. Knutson-Collins, and Army Pfc. Dante D. Taitano for 
     their dedicated service to the United States and its NATO 
     allies;
       (2) expresses gratitude for the hundreds of brave United 
     States, Lithuanian, Polish, and Estonian personnel involved 
     in a complex effort to recover the remains of Army Staff Sgt. 
     Jose Duenez Jr., Army Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, Army Staff 
     Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, and Army Pfc. Dante D. Taitano;
       (3) recognizes the outpouring of nationwide sentiment by 
     the people of Lithuania in appreciation of the heroism of 
     these four United States soldiers and the continuing close 
     alliance of their nation with the United States; and
       (4) reaffirms the importance of continued Western 
     leadership in enhancing deterrence in the Baltic region.

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