Three U.S. soldiers missing in Lithuania were found dead after their submerged armored vehicle was pulled from a muddy bog, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said Monday.

U.S. Navy divers are pushing through thick layers of mud in a flooded Lithuanian bog, where efforts are ongoing to excavate a submerged armored vehicle and locate four missing U.S. soldiers, Army officials said.

The Department of Defense is launching a deferred resignation program and early retirement initiative aimed at trimming the size of the civilian workforce, the agency said.

The Army’s top enlisted leader said this week that he wants to overhaul how soldiers are promoted by making military skill set tests the driving factor in who advances in rank.

More dredging gear was headed on Friday to the site where four U.S. soldiers remain missing in Lithuania, as personnel from multiple countries join an effort complicated by mud and flooding.

A series of airstrikes this week killed multiple Islamic militants in Somalia. According to U.S. Africa Command, the strikes, which were in coordination with the Somali government, hit ISIS-Somalia operatives.

“The challenges presented by the water, thick mud and soft ground around the site have complicated recovery efforts and have required specialized equipment,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told journalists in Poland that he had seen reports that the soldiers had perished. A spokesperson for the alliance later walked back Rutte’s statement.

Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan said the service is far behind in taking into account new fiber-optic drone technology that defies jamming and has transformed the battlefield in Ukraine.

The Polish-built barracks at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area can accommodate more than 1,700 soldiers, the Army’s V Corps said. About 1,000 troops are scheduled to move in this month.