The remains of the second U.S. Army soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco earlier this month have been recovered, officials said on Wednesday.
According to a news release, the soldier was identified as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida. She served as an air and missile defense crewmember and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
“Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported the Soldier’s remains by a Moroccan helicopter to the morgue of Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco,” the news release stated.
The body of the first soldier who went missing -- First Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., of Richmond, Virginia -- was recovered by a Moroccan military search team on Sunday from waters off the coast of southwest Morocco, The New York Times reported.
“The loss of Spc. Collington is a profound loss for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command,” Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, said in a statement. “Her recovery closes the search for our two missing Soldiers, but our commitment to caring for their Families, friends, and teammates continues.
“We are grateful to the U.S. and Moroccan forces for their professionalism and support throughout the search efforts.”
According to the news release, Collington entered the Regular Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 before beginning active-duty service in 2024. She completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember.
She reported to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025 and was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026.
She went missing the next day.
A spokesperson for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa told The Associated Press that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
The two soldiers were reported missing on May 2 after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco. More than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel were involved in the search, according to the AP.
The U.S.-led exercise was launched in April across four countries -- Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal -- with more than 7,000 personnel from more than 30 nations participating, according to the news organization.
© 2026 Cox Media Group
