Stories of Services

When an armored vehicle became submerged, resulting in four missing crew members, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Joseph Hawthorne took the lead on an underwater recovery mission in Lithuania.

In April 2025, four soldiers of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were undertaking a training exercise in Lithuania when their armored vehicle became submerged in a swamp. Tragically, all four service members passed away in the accident.

Serving as the primary diver for the recovery mission, Hawthorne voluntarily and repeatedly entered a life-threatening environment, tunneling through collapsing mud that continually threatened to entrap him.

Over several days of 24-hour operations, he and his team operated in extremely hazardous and toxic conditions, including zero-visibility waters, constant risks of entrapment, equipment failure and exposure to environmental poisoning, all of which could have been proven fatal.

Hawthorne and his team’s selfless perseverance under extreme operational hazards was the driving force behind the successful recovery of all four fallen soldiers, epitomizing the highest standards of service, courage and sacrifice within the U.S. Navy.

Chief Petty Officer Joseph Hawthorne is originally from New Boston, Texas, and is currently stationed at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi.

Story originally published by the USO: https://www.uso.org/stories/4093-meet-the-2026-uso-service-members-of-the-year