Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.
1. What happened to the two U.S. soldiers in Morocco?
Two U.S. soldiers fell off a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, Morocco, around 9 p.m. on May 2. The area is characterized by mountains, desert and semidesert plains, and both soldiers entered the Atlantic Ocean below.
2. What do we know about the soldier whose remains were recovered?
1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, was an Air Defense Artillery officer assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. A Moroccan military search team found his remains in the water along the shoreline on May 9, roughly one mile from where both soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. Key had entered military service in 2023 and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024.
3. How extensive is the search operation?
More than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco and other military partners have been involved in the nine-day search-and-rescue operation, deploying frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones. The effort has covered more than 12,000 square kilometers of sea and coastal zone, with roughly 3,000 additional square kilometers searched each day.
4. What were the soldiers doing in Morocco?
The soldiers were participating in African Lion 26, a U.S.-led multinational military exercise conducted across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal involving more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. The annual exercises, which have been held since 2004, are the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa. The soldiers fell during an off-duty recreational hike while the exercises were underway.
5. Is the search still ongoing?
Yes — search efforts continue for the second missing soldier. Though the multinational war games officially concluded on Friday, a U.S. contingent remained in Morocco specifically to provide command and control and to continue search-and-rescue operations.
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.