Body of missing U.S. soldier recovered in Morocco training exercise

Moroccan military search teams recovered the body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. along the shoreline near the Cap Draa Training Area in southern Morocco, ending one part of a weeklong search after two U.S. soldiers disappeared during an off-duty outing.

The Army said Key was found at about 8:55 a.m. local time on May 9, within roughly one mile of where the soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. He was identified as a 27-year-old Air Defense Artillery officer from Richmond, Virginia. U.S. and Moroccan forces were still searching for the second missing U.S. soldier.

Key and the other soldier went missing on May 2 while off duty near Cap Draa, in an area south of Tan-Tan where rugged coastal terrain meets the Atlantic Ocean. Reporting described the pair as having fallen off a cliff during a recreational hike, a stark reminder that off-duty movement near training sites can carry the same risks as the exercise itself. The Army has not said publicly how the incident unfolded, but the recovery along the shoreline suggests the search centered on a difficult stretch of coast and water.

The operation took place during African Lion 26, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise. The broader drill ran from April 20 to May 8 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia. In Morocco alone, the exercise involved about 5,000 personnel from more than 40 countries and more than 30 U.S.-based industry partners, underscoring the scale of the military presence around the Cap Draa area.

The search for the missing soldiers mobilized more than 600 personnel and included frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones, reflecting the seriousness of the response once the men were reported missing. U.S. Army Europe and Africa said the recovery was made by a Moroccan military search team, while Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and U.S. personnel continued their effort to find the second soldier. The case now stands as a test of how the Army and its partners manage safety, accountability and rescue capability when a high-profile overseas exercise turns into a fatal recovery mission.