The U.S. Army says First Lt. Lamont Key Jr.’s body was recovered after he went missing during training near Morocco’s Cap Draa area.
A U.S. Army officer missing during an annual training exercise in Morocco has been found, the Army announced, bringing new clarity to a search that has gripped service members and families for more than a week.
The U.S. Army said on Sunday that the body of First Lieutenant Lamont Key Jr. was recovered. Key was one of two American service members reported missing just over a week ago after they disappeared in waters off Morocco’s southern coast near the Cap Draa Training Area.
The Army said Moroccan and U.S. efforts had involved more than 1,000 military and civilian personnel as authorities searched for the second missing serviceman. That individual has not been identified in the Army’s announcement, and the service continues.
Key’s recovery came from a Moroccan military search team at about 8:55 a.m. Saturday local time, according to the Army. He was found along the shoreline roughly a mile from where both soldiers vanished into the ocean on May 2.
Officials said it is still not clear whether Key was the soldier who fell into the water or the one who was reported to have jumped in to attempt a rescue.. Army leaders said search activity will continue to focus around the area where Key’s remains were recovered while still monitoring a wider perimeter.
The incident occurred while both service members were taking part in African Lion. an annual U.S.-partner training exercise in the region.. Defense officials previously said the event was not believed to be related to African Lion. underscoring that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance were treated separately from the broader training agenda.
A preliminary account described a group of service members going on a hike to watch the sunset.. In that account, a soldier known to not be able to swim fell into the water.. The report said the second missing serviceman jumped in to try to help, but was hit by a wave.. Other soldiers attempted rescue efforts but were unsuccessful.
Key, 27, was from Richmond, Virginia, the Army said. He served as an air defense artillery officer with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
In a statement included with the announcement, Lt. Col. Chris Couch, commander of 5-4 ADAR, praised Key as a selfless and inspirational leader, saying his dedication to his Soldiers and their development would leave an enduring legacy.
The Army said Key is survived by his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law. His next of kin were notified before the announcement was made.
According to the Army, Key’s remains were transported to an area morgue, and plans are underway to repatriate them from Morocco back to the United States.
Brigadier Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said Key’s colleagues were grieving and would continue to support one another, along with Key’s family, as they honor his service.
The Army reported that Key joined his battalion in 2025 and had become a platoon leader by the time of his death. He was described within his artillery regiment as caring, selfless, and inspirational by leadership.
Key also received recognition for his service, including the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Service Ribbon, according to the Army.
Before entering the military, Key earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Methodist University in North Carolina. The Army said he completed minors in international business, entrepreneurship, and business administration there as well.
For the remaining search. investigators face the difficult task of expanding beyond a single recovery point in an environment shaped by tides. waves. and changing shoreline conditions.. That reality is reflected in the Army’s plan to keep attention on the area where Key was found while still scanning a broader perimeter for the second missing service member.
The recovery also highlights how training-related deployments can involve risks even when incidents are not directly linked to the exercise itself.. Officials emphasized that the circumstances were not believed to be related to African Lion. even as the disappearance occurred during the same period of overseas activity.
As the Army continues to search. the focus will likely extend beyond immediate operations to the process of bringing closure to the unit and the family.. The steps already outlined—notification. recovery. transport to a morgue. and repatriation planning—underscore how quickly the military moves from search and recovery toward honoring a fallen service member.
U.S. Army Morocco training exercise African Lion missing soldier Lamont Key Jr Cap Draa Training Area repatriation