African Lion

The annual multinational military exercise "African Lion" in Morocco has been marred by the disappearance and subsequent recovery of US Army soldiers. Two service members initially went missing during a hike while participating in the exercises in southwestern Morocco. Tragically, the body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. was recovered off the coast of Cap Draa, Morocco, on Saturday, May 31, 2024. He had gone missing on May 2nd during a training exercise. Moroccan searchers found his remains within a mile of where he disappeared. The exercises, involving US and Moroccan military forces, are a significant event for regional security cooperation. The recovery of the soldier's remains brings a somber conclusion to the search, though the circumstances of the initial disappearances during the large-scale military drills highlight the inherent risks involved in such operations.