Join CJCS Caine and CSAF Wilsbach for AFA’s Worldwide Toast to the Doolittle Raiders
The Air & Space Forces Association is proud to host its annual Doolittle Raiders Memorial Toast on April 17, 2026, to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. This year’s ceremony will be led by toastmaster Gen. Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and will also feature Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
The ceremony begins at 5:45 p.m. ET and can be livestreamed at afa.org/Toast, or on AFA’s YouTube channel.
Every year, Air Force and Space Force units, AFA Chapters, national organizations, individual supporters, and coalition partners around the world tune in for the event with a glass in hand to toast the Raiders’ enduring legacy. All are invited to organize and host their own toasts and incorporate AFA’s livestream into their personal ceremonies — details for hosting an event can be found on the AFA website.
Organized by AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center, the ceremony will honor the enduring heritage, spirit, and heroes of the Air Force, recognize the dedication of today’s Airmen and Guardians, and inspire the next generation to lead with courage. The Memorial Toast — which the DLC first revived in 2024 — is built on a decades-long practice established in 1946 by Doolittle (AFA’s founding president) to honor the sacrifice and bravery of the 80 Airmen who carried out the 1942 raid on Japan. This year’s commemoration aims to highlight how Doolittle and his Raiders continue to serve as an enduring example of American airpower and the importance of long-range strike.
“The courage, innovation, and audacity of General Jimmy Doolittle and his band of Raiders in the face of overwhelming odds runs deep in the DNA of every Airman and Guardian today,” said Dr. Patrick Donley, a retired Air Force colonel and the director of AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center. “When Doolittle and his Raiders launched their mission from the stormy Pacific in 1942, they set a long legacy of American airpower in motion. With this toast, we not only recall the bravery and honor the sacrifice of those 80 men—we’re inspired to continue living out their legacy.”
For more information on joining the Doolittle Raiders Toast, please visit afa.org/toast. To learn more about AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center and its mission to “Build Better Leaders,” contact [email protected]
About AFA
The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Founded in 1946, AFA is the single largest entity of its kind focused on air and space power. With more than 350,000 members and 200 chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote dominant U.S. Air Force and Space Force as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect the enduring heritage of the Air and Space Forces.
About the Doolittle Leadership Center
AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center’s mission is “Building Better Leaders.” In the spirit of AFA’s founding President Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, the DLC delivers leadership-training courses, workshops, and resources to Air Force, Space Force, and aerospace industry leaders around the world. Using a “Lead, Develop, Care” model, the DLC equips cadets, enlisted leaders, officers, and industry professionals with a leadership framework to improve organizational, operational, and individual success. The DLC also organizes engagement series aimed at connecting senior military leaders to the next generation of leaders.
CONTACT: Air & Space Forces Association [email protected]
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