1st Lt. Kendrick Key Jr. Found Dead in Atlantic Ocean After Cliff Fall in Morocco — Second Soldier Still Missing

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1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. of Richmond, Virginia is dead at 27.

A Moroccan military search team recovered his remains from the Atlantic Ocean shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time on May 9 — roughly one mile from where he and a second unidentified soldier reportedly fell into the water, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

The two soldiers went missing around 9 p.m. on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, Morocco. They were off duty, on a recreational hike, in terrain the Moroccan military describes as mountains, desert, and semi-desert plains. They fell from a cliff into the Atlantic.

Neither was recovered alive.

Who Key Was

Key was a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate. He earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024. He completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was barely getting started.

His decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Service Ribbon, according to the Army statement. He was 27 years old.

Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in a statement: "Today, we mourn the loss of 1st Lt. Kendrick Key, whose remains were recovered in Morocco. Our hearts are with his Family, friends, teammates, and all who knew and served alongside him."

The Search Is Still Active

The second soldier has not been found. The U.S. military has not identified that soldier publicly.

The search-and-rescue operation involves more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco, and allied military partners, according to multiple outlets including NPR and the Los Angeles Times. Frigates, vessels, helicopters, and drones have all been deployed. The search area spans more than 4,600 square miles.

African Lion 26 — the exercise that brought both soldiers to Morocco — officially ended Friday, May 9. A U.S. contingent stayed behind to maintain command and control and continue the search, a U.S. defense official told the Associated Press. The official spoke anonymously and was not authorized to speak publicly. The Pentagon has not made anyone available to answer basic questions on camera.

What Is African Lion?

African Lion is a U.S.-led annual multinational military exercise launched in April across four countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. It has run since 2004 and is the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa, according to ABC News. This year, African Lion 26 involved more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations.

American service members have died during these exercises before. In 2012, two U.S. Marines died during African Lion. Current coverage has barely mentioned this history — ABC News noted it in passing.

What Media Is Getting Wrong

Every outlet — NPR, Fox News, ABC News, the Los Angeles Times — is running nearly identical wire copy from the Associated Press. There is essentially no original reporting here. Harder questions are not being asked.

Questions like: What is the military's protocol for off-duty recreational activities near hazardous terrain during exercises? Were there warnings about the cliff area near Cap Draa? Who authorized or knew about this hike? Has the Army opened any kind of safety review?

The anonymous defense official cited across multiple outlets is the only source providing any operational detail. The family of a dead soldier deserves more than a statement from someone who won't put their name to it.

Fox News buried the story under unrelated headlines about Iran and North Korea. NPR gave it a brief write-up with zero follow-up. The Hill's coverage was barely three sentences. None of them pushed for more.

What Happens Next

Kendrick Key served two years, earned his commission, and flew to Morocco to participate in the largest U.S. military exercise on the African continent. He went for a hike on his day off and fell off a cliff into the ocean. He was 27.

Somewhere out there, a second soldier's family is waiting for news. More than 600 people are still searching.

The military and the media owe both families specific answers — not anonymous officials and wire copy pasted across a dozen websites.

Key gave two years of his life to this country. It can do better than a form statement.