US Army recovers remains of second soldier reported missing during Moroccan exercise

The remains of the second U.S. Army soldier who was reported missing in Southern Morocco last week have been recovered, the Army said in a statement Wednesday.

The Army identified the remains of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida. Collington 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, according to an Army release .

The recovery ends an 11-day search effort for Collington and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. , of Richmond, Virginia, after the soldiers entered the ocean on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area during a joint military exercise.

According to reports, one of the soldiers fell into the water during a hike along the oceanside cliffs after training that day had concluded. The other soldier purportedly jumped in to help, and initial rescue efforts for both failed.

On May 9, Key Jr. was recovered in the water approximately one mile from where both soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces moved his remains by helicopter to Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco, and the Army said plans are in motion to repatriate his body.

Since May 2, more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel participated in the search for the two soldiers, with Collington located and retrieved from a coastal cave roughly 1,600 feet from where the pair reportedly entered the ocean. According to the release, “challenging ocean conditions, coastal terrain and the cave’s accessibility complicated search and recovery operations throughout the effort.”

“Spc. Collington was an outstanding soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery, 5-4 ADAR, said in the release. “Her infectious energy, whether in the office, in the field or among her peers, fostered connection and camaraderie, bringing people together through her genuine warmth and heartfelt sense of humor. Her presence will be greatly missed across our formation.”

The soldiers were involved in African Lion 26, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, which involved over 40 countries and this year spanned across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.

The incident remains under investigation.

Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher with an unparalleled affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

美国陆军周三发表声明称，上周在摩洛哥南部失踪的第二名美国陆军士兵的遗体已被找到。

陆军确认了来自佛罗里达州塔瓦雷斯的19岁下士玛丽亚·西蒙妮·科林顿的遗骸。根据陆军发布的消息，科林顿是一名防空导弹部队成员，隶属于陆军第10防空导弹司令部第4防空炮兵团第5营C连。

此次搜救行动结束了对科林顿和来自弗吉尼亚州里士满的肯德里克·拉蒙特·基二世中尉长达 11 天的搜寻。这两名士兵于 5 月 2 日在卡普德拉训练区附近的一次联合军事演习中落水。

据报道，当天训练结束后，一名士兵在海边悬崖徒步时落水。另一名士兵据称跳入水中施救，但最初的救援行动未能成功。

5月9日，基伊的遗体在距离两名士兵据称落水地点约一英里的水域中被发现。摩洛哥皇家武装部队用直升机将他的遗体运往摩洛哥盖勒敏的穆莱·哈桑军事医院，军方表示正在安排将他的遗体运回国。

自5月2日以来，超过1000名美国和摩洛哥军民人员参与了对两名士兵的搜寻。科林顿的遗体在距离两人据称落水地点约1600英尺（约488米）的沿海洞穴中被找到并救出。新闻稿称，“恶劣的海况、复杂的海岸地形以及洞穴的难进性，都使整个搜寻和救援行动变得异常复杂。”

“科林顿下士是一位杰出的士兵，她始终如一的热情和积极乐观的精神感染着她所处的每一个环境，”第5-4装甲侦察营C连连长斯宾塞·格里德上尉在新闻稿中说道。“无论是在办公室、野外还是与战友相处，她那极具感染力的活力都能促进彼此间的联系和友谊，她真诚的温暖和幽默感将大家凝聚在一起。我们部队将无比怀念她。”

这些士兵参加了“非洲雄狮 26”演习，这是美国非洲司令部规模最大的年度联合演习，共有 40 多个国家参加，今年的演习范围涵盖加纳、摩洛哥、塞内加尔和突尼斯。

该事件仍在调查中。

克莱尔·巴雷特是《军事时报》的编辑和军事历史记者。她也是一位二战研究员，对温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士和密歇根大学橄榄球队有着无与伦比的热爱。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。