U.S. Army Identifies Second Soldier Recovered After Morocco Training Accident
The U.S. Army identified the recovered soldier as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.[1] Her body was the second U.S. military recovery tied to a Morocco training trip; 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. also fell and was recovered, the Army said.[2]
Collington was an air and missile defense crewmember with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, based in Ansbach, Germany.[1] She entered the Delayed Entry Program in 2023 and began active duty in 2024 before completing training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and reporting to her unit in February 2025.[1] She was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026.[1]
Collington and Key fell off a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike in Morocco after taking part in the African Lion 26 exercise, the Army said, and the incident remains under investigation.[1] The search involved more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel and used a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon, unmanned aerial systems, thermal sensors and an unmanned underwater vehicle, officials said.[1] Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported Collington's remains by helicopter to the morgue at Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, and both soldiers' remains are en route to the United States.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the U.S. Army identified the recovered soldier as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida (Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington).
- Collington was an air and missile defense crewmember with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, based in Ansbach, Germany (Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment).
- Officials said Collington entered the Regular Army's Delayed Entry Program in 2023, began active duty in 2024, completed training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, reported to her unit in February 2025 and was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026 (Fort Sill, Oklahoma).
- The article reports that Collington and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. fell off a cliff during an off‑duty recreational hike in Morocco after taking part in the African Lion 26 exercise (African Lion 26 exercise).
- U.S. Army Southern European Task Force–Africa said the incident remains under investigation and that the search operation involved more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel (U.S. Army Southern European Task Force–Africa).
- Search assets 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 (U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft).
- The Army said Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported Collington's remains by helicopter to the morgue at Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim and that both soldiers' remains are en route to the United States (Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the U.S. Army identified the recovered soldier as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida.
- The Army detailed that Collington was an air and missile defense crewmember with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, based in Ansbach, Germany.
- Officials said Collington entered the Regular Army's Delayed Entry Program in 2023, began active duty in 2024, completed training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, reported to her unit in February 2025, and was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026.
- The article confirms both Collington and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. fell off a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike in Morocco after taking part in the African Lion 26 exercise.
- A U.S. Army Southern European Task Force–Africa spokesperson said the incident remains under investigation and that the search operation involved more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civilian personnel.
- The search used 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.
- The Army said Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported Collington's remains by helicopter to the morgue at Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco, and that both soldiers' remains are en route to the United States.