Remains of Missing US Army Lt. Recovered from Atlantic off Morocco

Military officials announced the recovery of a U.S. Army officer's remains from the Atlantic Ocean during exercises in Morocco. The search goes on for a second missing soldier.

The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, of Richmond, Virginia, came up Saturday, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said Sunday. Key, a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer, was one of two soldiers who fell from a cliff on an off-duty hike near the Cap Draa Training Area on May 2.

A Moroccan military search team spotted Key in the water along the shoreline at 8:55 a.m. local time Saturday, about one mile from where both soldiers entered the ocean, the Army reported.

"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 a statement. "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 and the other soldier went missing May 2 after taking part in African Lion, an annual multinational exercise across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. The Moroccan military reported them missing around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, an area of mountains, desert and semi-desert plains.

More than 600 personnel from the U.S., Morocco and other partners joined the search-and-rescue mission. They deployed ships, helicopters and drones.

A U.S. contingent stayed in Morocco after exercises ended Friday to manage command and control and aid the search.

Key served with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. His awards included the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

He joined the Army in 2023 as an officer candidate, earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024 as an Air Defense Artillery officer, and finished the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Key leaves behind his parents, sister and brother-in-law.

African Lion 26 started in April with more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations. For more than 20 years, it has ranked as the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa.

In 2012, two U.S. Marines died and two others were hurt in an MV-22 Osprey crash near Cap Draa during Exercise African Lion.