East Georgia AFA Honors JROTC, CAP Cadets at Awards Ceremonies

AFA’s East Georgia Chapter continued an annual tradition of honoring outstanding Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) and Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets.

This year, AFA presented its Cadet of the Year award to deserving cadets from a Navy JROTC unit and the Civil Air Patrol, celebrating the leadership, technical skill, and community-minded service of local youth. The recognition grew out of chapter outreach, such as notifying JROTC instructors about Georgia’s Service Academy Day. The AFA Cadet of the Year program shines a spotlight on deserving young people who pursue many paths after high school to serve the nation and their communities.

East Georgia Chapter President Laurie Orth connected with Greenbrier High School Navy JROTC Instructor CW03 John Singleton of Evans, Georgia. Singleton invited Orth to present AFA’s Cadet of the Year Award at the school’s award ceremony on April 16, 2026. The visit served as a powerful demonstration of how AFA chapters can build new STEM education partnerships beyond traditional Air Force and Space Force networks.

Chloe Bell, a standout cadet who also serves as captain and packet-tracer specialist for her school’s CyberPatriot team, the “USS BOSN,” was chosen as one of AFA’s Cadet of the Year. Chloe’s cybersecurity skills and teamwork helped propel her All-Service Division team to win the state round of the CyberPatriot competition this year, making her an outstanding choice for recognition.

AFA Chapter support and encouraging participation in AFA’s CyberPatriot across JROTC units are yet another way to educate the next generation and inspire future service to our nation.

The professionalism and maturity shown by Greenbrier’s student-led JROTC staff during the ceremony further illustrated how JROTC programs cultivate real-world leadership experience. Cadet Daniel Keyes was also awarded the AFA Cadet of the Year but was unable to attend the ceremony.

A few days later, Laurie Orth and her husband, East Georgia Chapter VP of Membership John Orth, traveled to the Civil Air Patrol Statesboro Composite Squadron’s award ceremony in Statesboro, Georgia, to honor Jackson Wright as his squadron’s AFA Cadet of the Year. Jackson demonstrated his compassionate leadership by offering support during the promotion ceremonies for newer cadets whose family members were not present to pin their new rank.

During the ceremony, Capt. JoEllen Flannery and Lt. Col. Mark Knight of Civil Air Patrol Georgia Wing affirmed the value of sustained participation in CAP and the organization’s ability to open doors to educational and career opportunities.

Collaborative relationships also have practical benefits: East Georgia AFA’s 2025 Teacher of the Year came through a recommendation from Captain Flannery, and that recommendation—John Hendrix of Bulloch County High School—went on to win both the chapter and the State of Georgia AFA Teacher of the Year in 2025. This outcome illustrates how working with JROTC and Civil Air Patrol leadership uncovers deserving teachers of excellence and strengthens the local educational ecosystem.

East Georgia AFA salutes these awardees’ dedication and recognizes the leadership JROTC and Civil Air Patrol cultivate—nurtured by parents and instructors and reflected in cadets’ clear admiration for their mentors. Engaging with JROTC units, including programs from other service branches, offers support and community outreach; these opportunities help superb young leaders pave the way to a bright future for our nation.