AFA Announces a Worldwide Toast to the 82nd Anniversary of Doolittle Raid

The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) is hosting the “Doolittle Raiders Toast,” a heritage event commemorating the 82nd anniversary of the Doolittle Raid in 1942. The ceremony, organized by AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center, will be held on April 18, 2024, and livestreamed on YouTube.

The event’s keynote speaker and toastmaster will be Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. Units across all U.S. Air Force major commands and AFA Chapters around the world are invited to join the ceremony virtually. Learn how to participate here.

The event is a revival of a decades-old Air Force tradition first started by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle—AFA’s founding president—and his fellow Raiders in 1946. Originally an annual reunion for the Raiders, the toast has since become a commemoration of the 80 Airmen who flew in the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942.

“The Doolittle Raid was more than just retaliation for Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. It proved that nothing is beyond the reach of American airpower,” said Dr. Patrick Donley, a retired Air Force colonel and the director of AFA’s Doolittle Leadership Center. “What the Raiders’ bravery demonstrated 82 years ago is just as relevant today: that our Air and Space Forces are the most lethal in the world; that our Airmen, our Guardians, and our air and space power are the backbone of national security. By upholding the Raiders’ tradition and legacy, we’re upholding that notion.”

For more information on joining the Doolittle Raiders Toast or the DLC, please contact doolittleleadershipcenter@afa.org.

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 the “Senior Mentorship for Junior Leaders” workshop series that connects senior military leaders to the next generation of leaders. 

About AFA 

The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for investment and support for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, and for supporting 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 113,000 members and 200 chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote dominant U.S. Air and Space Forces 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.