U.S. Army Capt. Ivy Young, commander of the 970th Transportation Detachment, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Eugene, Oregon, poses for a photo during exercise African Lion 2024 (AL24) in Ben Ghilouf, Tunisia, May 5, 2024. Young leads the movement control team responsible for transporting personnel and equipment throughout Tunisia during the course of the exercise. AL24 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) (Photo Credit: Maj. Joe Legros)
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Back to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa
TUNIS, Tunisia – As with many native Hawaiians, U.S. Army Reserve Capt. Ivy Young is a mix of ethnicities including Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, German and Puerto Rican. Growing up within the diverse population of Honolulu, her childhood was immersed in traditional Hawaiian culture. Now, together with her U.S. Army Reserve unit, she traveled to the other side of the world to participate in exercise African Lion 2024 (AL24).
“I’ve been to New Zealand and Japan before, but this is my first time to Africa,” said Young, commander of the 970th Transportation Detachment Movement Control Team (970th TC DET (MCT)), 385th Transportation Battalion, 207th Regional Support Group.
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Young’s team works together with exercise leads from U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the 79th Theater Sustainment Command team to facilitate the efficient movement of personnel and cargo in and out of logistics areas from the hub of Tunis throughout the country, even to distant areas such as the Port of Gabes and Ben Ghilouf, which is over six hours away.
To put this in perspective, there are nearly 2,500 service members in the Tunisian spoke of AL24. Running from April 19 to May 31, the exercise takes place in four host nations to also include Ghana, Morocco and Senegal, bringing the total to 8,100 participants from 27 nations. MCTs have their hands full at every turn; but Young readily accepted the mission.
Working within a hectic, multinational atmosphere is commonplace in Hawaii, says Young. But she also shared that her Eugene, Oregon-based reserve unit is very diverse and multilingual, indicating they were ready for the challenge.
“An MCT is designed to expedite, coordinate and supervise transportation support of units, cargo and personnel,” explains Young. “I really enjoy any opportunity for us to exercise our capabilities and provide real-world support to the units at AL24.”
Together with Tunisian partners, Young’s team greets new arrivals at the airport, facilitates customs inspections with Tunisian officials, then moves everyone to their assigned locations.
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“When anyone submits a movement request to our team, we review and process the request before submitting it to the joint operations cell,” said Young. “An American liaison reviews the requests alongside Tunisian counterparts to determine their ability to support the movement and allocate assets accordingly.”
U.S. Army Capt. Ivy Young, right, commander of the 970th Transportation Detachment, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Eugene, Oregon, works with Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Vaughan, her first sergeant, after hours during exercise African Lion 2024 (AL24) in Tunis, Tunisia, Apr. 21, 2024. Young and Vaughan lead the movement control team responsible for transporting personnel and equipment throughout Tunisia during the course of the exercise. AL24 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) (Photo Credit: Maj. Joe Legros)
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With so many multinational participants and many moving parts, Young’s team often works late into the night to facilitate movement requests. Due to travel constraints, many units arrive close to midnight or early in the morning, but the MCT is always ready with a smile to welcome them to Tunisia.
“Since a little before the start of the exercise, we coordinated the movement of approximately 3,225 personnel moving from one location to another,” added U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Vaughan, detachment sergeant for the 970th TC DET (MCT). “We also oversaw the transportation of nearly 150 pieces of cargo and equipment all throughout the country of Tunisia.”
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Vaughan, Young and the other members of the MCT are constantly together and continually on the move, frequently traveling between locations to ensure successful transit. “Often, we’re so close to each other that many of us talk and associate regularly outside of battle assembly weekends; we’re a family,” added Vaughan.
Vaughan also shared that Young has been a breath of fresh air for the unit, saying they went from not knowing each other at all, to quickly accepting her as a new family member within their tight-knit group.
“Soon after she became our commander, the unit was informed we would deploy to the Middle East,” said Vaughan. “Rather than shy away from the challenge, Young embraced it, getting to know our team during the pre-deployment process. She quickly related to our soldiers and I can honestly say her leadership, partnership and guidance have left a mark here in the 970th that cannot be matched.”
The shared experience of a deployment can often lead to lifelong bonds of friendship. Vaughan expressed this same sentiment when speaking about his commander.
“I’ve been at her left side throughout her entire tenure with the 970th,” he said. “We’ve had laughs, shared words and tears, both of sadness and joy. I’ve seen her grow from someone that was an excited, slightly unsure officer in the beginning to a wonderful, strong and powerful commander and friend.”
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For Young, the camaraderie and shared challenges are exactly what she hoped for when she first joined the military.
“My freshman year of college left me feeling like I wasn’t being challenged enough and I had too much free time,” Young recalls.
U.S. Army Capt. Ivy Young, commander of the 970th Transportation Detachment, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in Eugene, Oregon, poses for a photo during exercise African Lion 2024 (AL24) in Ben Ghilouf, Tunisia, May 5, 2024. Young leads the movement control team responsible for transporting personnel and equipment throughout Tunisia during the course of the exercise. AL24 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros) (Photo Credit: Maj. Joe Legros)
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A chance encounter with a college roommate involved in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) sparked Young’s interest in military life.
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Her roommate took her to meet with a recruiter and, within 15 minutes, she was signed up for Army ROTC and military science classes. Switching her major from business to civil engineering to enhance her prospects for an Army ROTC scholarship, Young found herself drawn to the discipline and camaraderie of military training.
“My college years in ROTC really transformed me as a person and a leader,” she reflected. “I gained a lot of confidence and leadership skills that have helped me in every aspect of my life.”
She shared that she found out about the African assignment shortly after returning from a nine-month deployment to Saudi Arabia, where she and Vaughan performed MCT duties during Operation Inherent Resolve.
Deployments and events like AL24 would not be possible without the total force contributions of both guardsmen and reservists like Young. But after the exercise, she returns home and back to civilian responsibilities.
“Off duty, I serve as a project engineer for a general contractor,” said Young. “But I really love to cook, craft and travel. I really miss cooking while being deployed or on a training assignment like this one.”
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As the Department of Defense honors and remembers the many contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders this month, Young says she values her experience in Africa, while maintaining a love for her cultural background. She always returns home from assignments with new recipes to try and looks forward to reuniting with friends and family.
“There are a couple Tunisian recipes I really look forward to trying when I get home. I’ll definitely have some good memories to share from my experience in Africa,” said Young.
About African Lion
2024 marks the 20th anniversary ofU.S. Army Africa Command’s premier and largest annual, combined, joint exercise African Lion. This year’s exercise will take place April 19 through May 31 and is hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia with more than 8,100 participants from over 27 nations and contingents from NATO. African Lion 24 focuses on enhancing readiness between the U.S. and partner nation forces. This joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access.
African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
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About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF providesU.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS
Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kona
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 69 near the shore to 45 to 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Monday: Cloudy. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon.
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Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 69 near the shore to 44 to 51 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.
Waimea
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Kohala
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
South Big Island
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 64 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.
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Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Lows around 70 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.
Puna
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Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waikoloa
Tonight: Cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 48 to 54 above 4000 feet. Light winds.
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Monday: Cloudy. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 71 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming northwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 47 to 54 above 4000 feet. North winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight.
Synopsis
The cold front has dissipated into a trough and remains northwest of the Hawaiian Islands this evening. High pressure will build in from the north and allow the trade winds to strengthen from Monday through Wednesday. Brief passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours through Wednesday and then over southeastern slopes and island interior sections from Thursday onward. Winds will weaken and veer slightly from a more east-southeast direction from Thursday on into the weekend. Shower activity will remain limited during this time period.
Short term update
The large band of high level cirrus clouds and mid level alto stratus clouds currently over the islands will continue to slowly diminish through Monday. The cold front approaching the islands has stalled and diminished into a trough just northwest of the island of Kauai. Trade winds blow into the region and strengthen into the moderate to locally breezy range from Monday through Wednesday. A slight decrease in wind speeds and a shift from a more east- southeast direction remains in the forecast from Thursday onward as another cold front approaches the islands from the northwest, weakening and lifting the ridge north of the state. Local scale sea breeze winds will develop along terrain sheltered slopes of each island as the large scale winds weaken. Limited shower activity will prevail into next weekend with only brief showers possible. The afternoon forecast looks good. No evening updates.
Previous discussion
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026. Expectations for this afternoon remain on track. The boundary upstream of Kauai has made little to no forward progress today, sea breezes have struggled to establish owing to abundant high clouds, and showers southwest of Kauai and Oahu have essentially remained in place while stratiform elements peel off to the northeast. In addition, regenerating showers over Windward Oahu have dissipated in response to backing low-level flow. All told, an uneventful, cloudy, and mostly dry day across the state. Going forward, building heights over the N Central Pacific will maintain strengthening, but progressive high pressure at the surface. This in turn ensures the return of trades tonight which then become breezy during mid-week. Winds diminish slightly by late week as trades veer to ESE in advance of another round of upstream height falls. Typical trade wind weather anticipated throughout this time with showers focused windward and mauka. High clouds gradually clear from west to east Monday into Tuesday before exiting the area altogether by Wednesday.
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Aviation
A weakening stationary boundary will allow for abundant high clouds and relatively light land/sea breezes to prevail across most TAF sites. This front will also allow for disorganized showers across Kauai and Oahu tonight, however confidence was on the lower end based on weather model guidance, so made use of VCSH and PROB30 where rain chances were felt to be the highest. MVFR conditions may prevail under shower activity, otherwise VFR is expected across most sites for the period. AIRMET Tango remains in effect across the islands due to upper- level turbulence from FL200-400 due to this front, with conditions expected to improve into tomorrow as this system continues to weaken. Patchy mountain obscuration may occur due to the presence of this front, however observations and webcams suggest that the threat is not widespread enough to warrant an AIRMET at this time. Light icing is also possible in cloud layer 120-180.
Marine
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026. A dissipated front will linger into Monday just northwest of the area. Fresh to locally strong easterly trades will build in by Tuesday as surface ridge strengthens to the north. Winds will maintain strength but veer east southeast towards the end of the week as another system approaches from the west. Surf along north and west-facing shores will be above seasonal average as a northwest swell (310 degrees) is expected to impact through Monday. Surf should remain small though the week with a small northwest bump expected next weekend. Surf along exposed east-facing shores will be a bit elevated due to a short-to medium-period northeast (40 degrees) swell, then decline Tuesday. However, period and choppy conditions are expected to return by Tuesday as fresh trade winds redevelop and expand upstream of the state. Surf along south-facing shores will remain near the seasonal average into March.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
None.
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(BIVN) – YAS Fest, aka the Youth Art Series Festival, is returning to Kalākaua Park in Downtown Hilo.
The East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center is hosting the event on Saturday, March 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Keiki and their families will be treated to an exciting array of performances, craft and information booths, and art activities,” a press release promoted.
From event organizers:
YAS Fest brings together local organizations dedicated to providing arts opportunities to keiki and teens from around Hawaiʻi Island. By spotlighting their activities, YAS Fest celebrates the importance of arts education for everyone.
Booths include the Hilo High School Art Club, Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui, Friends of the Palace Theatre, and over a dozen more.
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Headlining the performers is HAAStile (a teen rock band from Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Sciences, directed by Trever Veilleux). Audiences will also enjoy performances by Big Wave Dance Academy, Aloha Teen Theatre, N2 Dance, Hawaii’s Volcano Circus, Prince Dance Institute, and Kona Dance and Performing Arts.
YAS Fest is made possible by support from County Council District 2 and Coldwell Banker Island Properties. EHCC also thanks KTA Super Stores, Kelsey Ito, and Lō‘ihi Studios for their contributions.
Says YAS Fest organizer Kellie Miyazu, who is EHCC’s Youth Education Director, “Last year we had around 300 visitors to the first YAS Fest. There was a lot of nice feedback from visitors, and also from the organizations who were able to network with each other and the community. We’re expecting an even more successful festival this year.”
Visitors are also encouraged to stop by the EHCC patio across the street to learn more about EHCC’s vision for the year and how community support helps keep EHCC’s unique gallery and keiki programs accessible to all.
For more information, visit EHCC online at ehcc.org, call 961-5711, or visit EHCC at 141 Kalakaua Street. Current gallery and office hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday noon to 6 p.m.
A boy was killed after being struck by a vehicle today in Hawaii Kai, police said.
At about 11:02 a.m., a 37-year-old woman “was attempting to travel northbound” on Kukuau Place when the vehicle hit a boy who was in the road in front of the vehicle, according to a Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division news release. The child was taken to a hospital in critical conition where he was pronounced dead.
The driver remained at the scene and was uninjured, police said.
HPD did not release the boy’s age or say whether speed, drugs or alcohol were possible factors in the collision.
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This was Oahu’s ninth fatality in 2026, compared with 15 at the same time last year.
