Remains of US soldier who fell off cliff in Morocco recovered, 2nd soldier still missing

The remains of one of two US Army soldiers who fell off a cliff after grueling training exercises in Morocco have been recovered.

The second soldier is still missing.

The deceased soldier was identified as 27-year-old 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. of Richmond, Va., who served as an Air Defense Artillery officer.

“A Moroccan military search team found the Soldier in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time May 9, within roughly one mile of where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean,” U.S Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.

Key and the other soldier, who has not been publicly identified, plummeted over the edge of the cliff during a recreational hike near the Cap Draa Training Area on May 2 — hours after they both participated in the African Lion war games.

The African Lion is a longstanding, multinational military exercise often featuring high-ranking military officials from the US and its top allies in Africa.

More than 7,000 military personnel from over 30 nations participated in the exercise before the duo’s disappearance brought it to a screeching halt.

Six hundred personnel launched an expansive search-and-rescue operation for the soldiers involving frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones, according to the statement.

As of Sunday, the eighth day of the search, the teams have covered more than 12,000 square kilometers of sea and shore, the statement said.

Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, U.S Army Europe and Africa said.

Before enlisting in the military, Key earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Methodist University in North Carolina, with minors in international business, entrepreneurship and business administration.

He began his military career in 2023 as an officer candidate, then rose to Air Defense Artillery officer in 2024.

This isn’t the African Lion war games’ first brush with tragedy since their inception in 2004.

In 2012, two Marines were killed after their helicopter went down during the exercises, with two others injured. 

With Post wires