U.S. Africa Command confirmed Sunday that two American service members have gone missing while taking part in a military exercise in Morocco. The incident, which occurred near the Cap Draa Training Area close to the city of Tan Tan in the country’s southwest, was first reported Saturday.
“The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going,” Africom said in a statement. “Our focus is on the service members involved and their families.”
The two troops were participating in African Lion, the Pentagon’s largest annual joint exercise in Africa. The drills, which run through much of May, are designed to strengthen interoperability between U.S. forces, NATO allies, and partner nations across the continent. Host countries this year include Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.
U.S. and Moroccan authorities have already launched a combined search and rescue effort, deploying ground teams, aircraft, and maritime assets. Africom has not disclosed the identities or units of the missing personnel, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
“Additional information will be provided as it becomes available,” Africom added.
The disappearance comes as the U.S. military maintains a significant footprint in North and West Africa, primarily focused on counterterrorism and training missions. Morocco has long been a key partner in these efforts, hosting regular exercises and intelligence-sharing arrangements.
While the Pentagon has not suggested any hostile involvement in the missing service members’ disappearance, the incident adds to a list of recent security challenges for U.S. forces abroad. In a separate development, GOP Armed Services chiefs have criticized former President Trump’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, arguing it undermined NATO readiness.
Meanwhile, African Lion exercises have proceeded without major incident in previous years, though the vast and remote terrain of southern Morocco can pose logistical hazards. The region near Tan Tan is sparsely populated and includes coastal areas along the Atlantic.
Africom has not provided a timeline for the search or indicated whether the missing troops were carrying communications equipment. Families have been notified, and the command has pledged to release further details as the situation develops.
The U.S. military’s presence in Africa has been a subject of debate in Washington, with some lawmakers questioning the scale and cost of operations on the continent. The missing service members are the latest reminder of the risks inherent in those deployments.
