Body of U.S. soldier is found off the coast of Morocco
The remains of a 27-year-old American soldier who went missing while in Morocco for joint military exercises have been found, and a search is continuing for another missing service member, the Army said.
The body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, was recovered by a Moroccan military search team from waters off the coast of southwest Morocco, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement Sunday.
He was one of two soldiers who went missing May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area along the Atlantic Ocean.
The soldiers had been in Morocco for African Lion 2026, a large joint military exercise held annually by U.S. forces, NATO countries and African nations.
The Moroccan search team found the soldier’s remains Saturday morning in the water along the shore, about 1 mile from where he and another soldier “reportedly entered the ocean,” the statement said.
U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said this month that the two soldiers were on an evening hike at a training range, and at least one of them was believed to have fallen off a cliff into the sea.
The joint search effort used ships, ground teams and reconnaissance drones.
“Our hearts are with his family, friends, teammates, and all who knew and served alongside him,” Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in the statement.
A second U.S. military official said that on the day of the soldiers’ disappearance, military personnel had created a human chain to try to rescue the troops but a large wave swept at least one of them into the ocean.
Key was an artillery officer assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the Army said.
As platoon leader, he was known for the “care he showed for his soldiers, his commitment to others, and the relationships he built across the formation,” the statement said.
He attended Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in marketing before beginning military service in 2023 as an officer candidate, earning his commission in 2024.
He is survived by his father, Kendrick Key Sr.; his mother, Jihan Key; his sister, Dakota Debose-Hill; and his brother-in-law, U.S. Army Specialist James Brown, the statement said.
About 5,000 personnel from more than 40 countries were scheduled to participate in the African Lion exercises in Morocco from April 27 to May 8.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.