ORLANDO, Fla. – The family of Army Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington gathered Wednesday at the Orlando Executive Airport for a dignified transfer — the formal military ceremony honoring the return of a fallen service member’s remains.
For her family, it was a moment that was both heartbreaking and healing.
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“It’s like a bittersweet day,” said Cherlette McCullough, Spc. Collington’s cousin. “We’re glad her body is here so that we can celebrate her life. But today is heavy.”
Collington, 19, of Tavares, was one of two U.S. soldiers who went missing May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area in Morocco during the annual African Lion 26 military exercises. Her remains were recovered May 12 from a coastal cave roughly 500 meters from where both soldiers were last seen entering the ocean.
“We got a call, and the call was that Mariyah was missing in the military — and that they believe she drowned,” McCullough said.
More than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel participated in the search for Collington and the second soldier, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., covering more than 21,300 square kilometers across sea and coastal zones. The operation utilized unmanned aerial systems, rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, surface vessels, dive teams, mountaineering teams and ground search elements.
When Collington’s remains were finally found, McCullough said, the family felt a wave of complicated emotions.
“When her body was found, it was a sigh of relief,” she said. “And then, you know, there’s protocols and processes in place with the Army. Things don’t happen overnight.”
Collington served as an air and missile defense crewmember assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, based in Ansbach, Germany. She had been promoted to specialist just one day before she went missing — May 1, 2026.
Collington grew up in the Apopka and the Orlando-area before her family later moved to Tavares. She was a graduate of Evans High School, where she was a cheerleader and was known as a popular, fashion-forward young woman with a big personality.
“Military and fashion, right,” McCullough said with a laugh. “But she made them work well together.”
Serving in the Army was never a reluctant decision for Collington — it was a calling she had felt for years, McCullough said.
“It was always her choice, what she wanted to do. It wasn’t something forced. This is what she decided to do early on after graduation — to go in and serve in the military,” McCullough said.
Perhaps the most personal part of Collington’s military journey was the plan she had made with her older brother.
“Her and her brother, they had planned this together. They were joined at the hip, very close,” McCullough said. “This is how they were going to spend their lives — fighting for their country, retire and live their lives.”
McCullough said Collington’s older brother graduated from the University of Florida and entered the military just two weeks before his sister’s remains were returned home. McCullough said his continued service brings the family some comfort.
“That was their plan to be together,” McCullough said. “He’s still carrying out the plan that they had together.”
Collington’s military commanders remembered her as an exceptional soldier who brightened every room she entered.
“Spc. Collington was an outstanding Soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” said Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery. “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.”
Lt. Col. Chris Couch, the battalion commander, echoed those sentiments.
“Spc. Collington was a bright light in this battalion. To the Soldiers who knew her best and served alongside her each day, she was a treasured friend whose loss leaves a deep and profound void on our team,” Couch said.
Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, also spoke to the weight of the loss.
“The loss of Spc. Collington is a profound loss for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command,” King said. “Her recovery closes the search for our two missing Soldiers, but our commitment to caring for their Families, friends, and teammates continues.”
McCullough said the outpouring of support from strangers has moved the entire family.
“Her mom and dad have had an overwhelming response from people they don’t know reaching out and just giving their condolences,” she said. “I think people really feel bad for our family because of her age and the way that she lost her life.”
For McCullough, some peace comes from watching videos Collington left behind.
“What brings me some peace is looking at her TikToks, looking at her videos of her being the life of the party — laughing, talking — and remembering how close she was to her older brother,” she said.
She said the family is committed to keeping Collington’s memory alive.
“We will always remember her. The way that she lost her life was tragic, hurtful. But we’ll always remember her. We’ll always be saying her name. She will never be forgotten,” McCullough said.
The family is planning a public celebration of life at First Baptist Church of Apopka on Saturday, June 13th at 11:00a.m.
Collington’s awards and decorations include the Army Service Ribbon.