More than 600 personnel from three nations searched the Atlantic for one soldier
Near the rugged Atlantic cliffs of Morocco's Cap Draa, a young American officer's off-duty hike became a tragedy that no military exercise can prepare a family for. 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, fell into the ocean on May 2 during a break from African Lion, the largest U.S. joint military operation on the African continent in over two decades, and his remains were recovered nine days later by Moroccan search teams. The vast international machinery of alliance — 600 personnel, ships, helicopters, drones — was turned toward finding two men, and found one. The second soldier remains missing, and the search continues as a reminder that service carries risk even in the quiet moments between duty.
- Two U.S. soldiers vanished into the Atlantic after falling from a cliff during an off-duty hike near Cap Draa on the evening of May 2, sending immediate alarm through a multinational exercise involving 5,600 personnel from over 40 nations.
- A massive search-and-rescue operation — 600+ personnel, ships, helicopters, and drones from the U.S., Morocco, and allied nations — mobilized across a harsh landscape of mountains, desert, and open sea.
- Nine days after he disappeared, Moroccan military searchers recovered the remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. from the Atlantic, roughly a mile from where he entered the water.
- Key, a 27-year-old Air Defense Artillery officer who earned his commission in 2024, leaves behind parents, a sister, and a brother-in-law — his commanding general calling on the unit to grieve together.
- The second missing soldier has not been found; a U.S. contingent has remained in Morocco beyond the exercise's official end to support ongoing recovery efforts.
On the evening of May 2, two U.S. soldiers went missing near Morocco's Cap Draa Training Area during what should have been a quiet off-duty hike. One of them, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. — a 27-year-old Air Defense Artillery officer from Richmond, Virginia — had fallen from a cliff into the Atlantic Ocean. The two men had been participating in African Lion, an annual multinational exercise drawing more than 5,600 personnel from over 40 nations across North and West Africa, and the largest U.S. joint military operation on the continent in more than two decades.
The disappearance set off an enormous response. More than 600 personnel from the U.S., Morocco, and allied nations fanned out across the region, deploying ships, helicopters, and drones over the mountainous, semi-desert terrain outside the town of Tan-Tan. Nine days after Key went missing, a Moroccan military search team recovered his remains from the water on a Saturday morning — approximately a mile from where he and his companion had entered the sea.
Key had entered military service in 2023 and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School the following year, going on to serve with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. He had completed his Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and received the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon. He is survived by his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law.
Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, expressed the unit's grief and pledged continued support for Key's family. The military exercises officially concluded on Friday, but a U.S. contingent remained in Morocco to assist with the search for the second missing soldier, who has not yet been found. It is not the first loss at this site — in 2012, two U.S. Marines died when an MV-22 Osprey crashed near Cap Draa during the same exercise. The search continues.
On a May afternoon near Morocco's Cap Draa Training Area, two U.S. soldiers went missing during what was supposed to be a routine off-duty hike. One of them, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 27-year-old Air Defense Artillery officer from Richmond, Virginia, had fallen from a cliff into the Atlantic. Nine days later, Moroccan military personnel found his remains in the water, roughly a mile from where he and his companion had entered the ocean.
Key was participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise that had drawn more than 5,600 personnel from over 40 nations across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. The exercise, which began in April, is the largest joint U.S. military operation conducted on the African continent in more than two decades. Key and the second soldier were reported missing around 9 p.m. on May 2 near the training area, a landscape of mountains, desert, and semi-desert plains outside the town of Tan-Tan.
The disappearance triggered an enormous search-and-rescue operation. More than 600 personnel from the U.S., Morocco, and allied nations mobilized across the region. Ships, helicopters, and drones were deployed in a coordinated effort to locate the two missing soldiers. The scale of the response reflected both the urgency of the situation and the international partnerships that underpin these exercises. A Moroccan military search team recovered Key's remains on Saturday morning at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time, nine days after he went missing.
Key had entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School the following year. He was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, part of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. After his commission, he completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. His military decorations included the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon. He is survived by his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law.
Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, released a statement acknowledging the loss. "Our hearts are with his Family, friends, teammates, and all who knew and served alongside him," King said, noting that the command would continue to support Key's family and one another through the grief. A U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the military exercises officially ended on Friday, providing command and control support and assisting with the ongoing search for the second missing soldier.
The incident is not the first tragedy to strike during African Lion operations at this location. In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured when an MV-22 Osprey crashed near Cap Draa during the same exercise. The search for the second missing soldier continues, with international teams still deployed across the region.
Citas Notables
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.— Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why were these two soldiers hiking off-duty during a major military exercise?
It was a recreational hike, something soldiers do to decompress during long operations. These exercises last weeks and involve thousands of people. A break in the routine is normal.
And they fell from a cliff together?
That's what the reports indicate—both went over during the hike near Cap Draa. One was found nine days later. The other is still missing.
Six hundred people searching for one person seems enormous.
It does, but this is how militaries operate. When one of their own goes missing, the response is total. Ships, helicopters, drones—everything gets mobilized. It's also a statement about the value placed on recovery, not just rescue.
Key had only been an officer for about two years?
Yes. He went through Officer Candidate School in 2024, completed his basic training, and was assigned to his unit. He was still early in his career.
What does it mean that a U.S. contingent stayed behind after the exercise ended?
It means the search didn't stop when the formal exercise concluded. They remained in country specifically to keep looking for the second soldier and to support the recovery operation. That commitment matters.
Has this happened before at this location?
In 2012, an aircraft crashed at the same training area during African Lion, killing two Marines and injuring two others. Cap Draa has a difficult terrain—mountains, cliffs, desert. It's challenging ground.