The United States Army announced on Wednesday that the remains of the second soldier who went missing during military drills in Morocco have been found. This development concludes a large-scale multinational search effort that utilized air, naval, and artificial intelligence resources.
Identification of the Deceased Soldier
The soldier has been identified as Specialist Mariyah Symone Collington, a 19-year-old from Tavares, Florida, according to a statement from U.S. military Europe and Africa. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported her remains via helicopter to the morgue at Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco.
Military Background and Service
Spc. Collington served as an air and missile defense crewmember. She was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. She entered the Regular Army through the Delayed Entry Program in 2023 and began active duty in 2024. She completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember. In February 2025, she reported to her unit in Ansbach, Germany, and was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026. Her awards include the Army Service Ribbon.
Incident and Search Operation
The announcement comes days after the military confirmed the recovery of another soldier, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer. Both soldiers fell off a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike in Morocco. Their remains are being transported to the United States. A spokesperson for the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) told The Associated Press that the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.
The two soldiers were reported missing on May 2 after taking part in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco. Their disappearance prompted a search operation involving over 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel. Assets deployed included a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, thermal and ISR sensors, an unmanned underwater vehicle, side-scan sonar, a Moroccan multibeam echosounder, and U.S. Coast Guard drift modeling capabilities.
