Family ties: Siblings strengthen readiness, relationships during African Lion 2025
U.S. Army Maj. Carolyn Vandeventer, assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command (Forward), U.S. Army Reserve, rests her head on the shoulder of her brother, U.S. Army Master Sgt. Stuart Vandevick, assigned to the 561st Regional Support Group, as they pose for a photo at Centre d’Entraînement Tactique 2 (CET2) in Dodji, Senegal, May 15, 2025. The siblings are deployed together in support of African Lion 2025, providing logistics and operational support for U.S. and partner forces. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise enhances our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Solomon Navarro)