One of two US soldiers missing in Morocco recovered

Searchers recovered the body of a U.S. soldier who disappeared a week ago in ocean waters along a Moroccan shoreline, Army officials said Sunday. 1st. Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, of Richmond, Virginia, was one of two soldiers who went missing May 2 at an international training exercise in Morocco, according to local reports.

More than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel have been involved in the search operations, the Army said.

Key was found a week after he was one of three U.S. soldiers involved in an apparent mishap on oceanside cliffs on the country’s southwestern coastline. On May 2, Key was with several other troops hiking after completing drills for the day when one soldier fell into the water, according to reports. Two more dove in to rescue the first.

Of the three soldiers, only one eventually emerged from the water.

An air defense artillery officer, Key served as a platoon leader with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

“Today, we mourn the loss of 1st Lt. Kendrick Key, whose remains were recovered in Morocco,” Brig. Gen Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in the announcement. “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.”

Key was part of a large American military presence at the Cap Draa Training Area for African Lion 26, a large multinational exercise being held in four countries. American troops at the training area, near the southwestern Moroccan city of Tan Tan, were training in artillery drills, drone tactics, and other maneuvers.

Key’s remains were found near the shoreline Saturday morning local time, SETAF said. A Moroccan military search team found him approximately a mile from where the two soldiers fell into the water.

According to the Army, Key joined the Army as an officer candidate in 2023 and commissioned a year later. He joined Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment in 2025. His decorations include the Army Service Medal and Army Achievement Medal.

Lt. Col. Chris Couch, the commander of 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, called Key “a selfless, inspirational leader whose unwavering dedication to his Soldiers and their development leaves an enduring legacy within our ranks.”

Search and rescue efforts have involved American, French, and Moroccan military aircraft and ships, as well as hundreds of military and civilian personnel.

The search for the second soldier, who has not been named, is ongoing. SETAF confirmed Saturday that a contingent of American personnel would remain in the area around Cap Draa to continue searching for the second missing soldier.