The body of a US soldier who vanished while on a hike in Morocco during a break from a military training exercise was found Sunday.
The remains were identified as 1st Lt Kendrick Lamont Key Jr, a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer who was one of two US soldiers who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco while off duty. Key Jr was 27 years old.
They had been reported missing May 2 and were last seen that evening near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, according to the Moroccan military.
A preliminary report suggested the pair had taken a hike to view the sunset when one of the two fell into the water and was unable to swim, CBS News said.
The second soldier dove in and tried to rescue the first soldier but was hit by a wave. Further rescue attempts by other troops were unsuccessful.
Military teams were still searching for a second missing soldier as of Sunday.
The two were participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco.
Their disappearance triggered a search-and-rescue operation involving more than 1,000 personnel from the United States, Morocco and other military partners.
The remains were those of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr, a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer who was one of two US soldiers who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco while off duty. He was 27 years old
Key and a second soldier had had been reported missing May 2 and were last seen that evening near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan (pictured), according to the Moroccan military
The operation deployed frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones.
They found Key in the water along the shoreline on Saturday morning, within about one mile of where both soldiers had gone in the ocean.
‘Today, we mourn the loss of 1st Lt. Kendrick Key, whose remains were recovered in Morocco,’ said Brig. Gen Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
‘Our hearts are with his Family, friends, teammates, and all who knew and served alongside him. The 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Family is grieving, and we will continue to support one another and 1st Lt. Key’s Family as we honor his life and service.’
Search efforts will continue for the missing second soldier, a US defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly on the issue.
The official said a U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the war games ended Friday to provide command and control and to continue search and rescue operations.
Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the army said.
His decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Smoke rises in a live fire drill during the ‘African Lion’ joint military exercise between US and Moroccan forces in the Tan-Tan region in southwestern Morocco on May 8
African Lion 26, is a US-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. Since 2004, it has been the largest US joint military exercise in Africa
He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024 as an Air Defense Artillery officer.
Key later completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, according to the statement.
His next-of-kin were notified prior to the military’s announcement. Key is survived by his parents, sister and brother-in-law.
Key’s remains were taken to a local morgue, with plans underway to bring them back to the United States.
African Lion 26, is a US-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. Since 2004, it has been the largest US joint military exercise in Africa.
In 2012, two US Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco´s southern city of Agadir while taking part in the exercises.
The US Military has said that the multi-national exercise is key to strengthening regional security cooperation and refining the readiness of participating forces for global crises.
Morocco is one of the US’s top allies in northern and western Africa, where other countries in the region, such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have been distancing themselves from Western powers since 2020.
AFRICOM stated that as the search is carried out, ‘Our focus is on the service members involved and their families.’
