Remains of 2nd U.S. soldier who went missing in Morocco have been recovered
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- The remains of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, the second U.S. Army soldier missing during military exercises in Morocco, have been recovered, concluding a multinational search operation involving air, naval, and AI assets.
- Collington, 19, served as an air and missile defense crewmember with the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment and was promoted to specialist in May 2026.
- The soldiers, Collington and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., fell off a cliff during an off-duty hike on May 2 while participating in the African Lion exercise, triggering a large-scale search involving over 1,000 personnel from the U.S. and Morocco.
- The search operation utilized advanced technology including a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, thermal sensors, underwater vehicles, and sonar equipment.
- African Lion 26 is a U.S.-led multinational military exercise involving more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations, conducted across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal.