Remains of Missing U.S. Soldier Recovered Off Moroccan Coast
The body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., who went missing during military exercises in Morocco, has been found; search efforts continue for a second missing soldier.
The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 27-year-old U.S. Army officer, have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean near Tan-Tan, Morocco. Key went missing on May 2 during a recreational hike following his participation in the African Lion military exercises. He and another soldier reportedly fell off a cliff near the Cap Draa Training Area.
A Moroccan military search team discovered Key's body on May 9, approximately one mile from the presumed point of entry into the ocean. Search operations, involving over 600 personnel from the U.S., Morocco, and partner nations, are ongoing to locate the second missing soldier.
1st Lt. Key, assigned to the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, joined the military in 2023 and was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 2024.
African Lion 26, the largest U.S.-led military exercise in Africa since 2004, involves over 7,000 personnel from more than 30 nations and is conducted across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal.