SouthernWorldwide.com – The remains of a U.S. Army officer who went missing during military exercises in Morocco have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean. A search is ongoing for a second soldier who remains unaccounted for, military officials confirmed.
The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, from Richmond, Virginia, were found on Saturday. U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced the recovery on Sunday. Lt. Key, an Air Defense Artillery officer, was one of two U.S. soldiers reported to have fallen from a cliff during a recreational hike off-duty near the Cap Draa Training Area on May 2.
A Moroccan military search team located Key’s remains in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time on Saturday. This discovery occurred about one mile from the location where both soldiers were last seen entering the ocean, according to the Army.
Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, expressed his grief in a statement. “Today, we mourn the loss of 1st Lt. Kendrick Key, whose remains were recovered in Morocco,” he stated. “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.”
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Key and the second soldier were reported missing on May 2. Their disappearance occurred after they had participated in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise that takes place across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal.
The soldiers were reported missing around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area, which is situated outside Tan-Tan. This region is characterized by its diverse terrain, including mountains, desert, and semi-desert plains, as noted by the Moroccan military.
The disappearance of the two soldiers prompted a large-scale search-and-rescue operation. The mission involved over 600 personnel from the U.S., Morocco, and other military partners. Ships, helicopters, and drones were deployed as part of the extensive search efforts.
Search operations are continuing in the effort to locate the second missing soldier. A U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the conclusion of the military exercises on Friday. Their role is to provide command and control and to support the ongoing search and rescue mission.
According to the Army, Lt. Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. His military decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
He began his military service in 2023 as an officer candidate. The following year, he earned his commission through Officer Candidate School, specializing as an Air Defense Artillery officer. He later completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Lt. Key is survived by his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law. African Lion 26, the exercise in which the soldiers were participating, is a U.S.-led initiative that commenced in April. It spanned across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal, involving more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations.
For more than two decades, African Lion has been recognized as the largest U.S. joint military exercise conducted in Africa. In a separate incident in 2012, two U.S. Marines lost their lives, and two others were injured during an MV-22 Osprey crash near Cap Draa. This crash occurred while they were participating in the Exercise African Lion.
