The JTYAF was delighted to fund Expedition Maroon Eagle 2023, which saw 10 exceptional Air Cadet Junior Leaders embark on an extraordinary adventure. The trip was organised by the Course Directing staff and they must take full credit for making this incredible experience possible. The group travelled to the USA, visiting Washington DC for a 2-week educational trip, exploring historic landmarks, gaining insights into the workings of the US Government with unique opportunities to develop their understanding of both political and military leadership.

The trip offered each individual a truly life changing experience, with visits to iconic landmarks which included the Capital, The White House, The Pentagon and the British Embassy as well as various museums, like the National Archives, the Smithsonian museums, The National Museum of American History, the Holocaust Museum and many more. All of which developed their knowledge surrounding historical figures, leadership, policies, and decisive moments.

The first day included a sombre visit to Arlington Military Cemetery, the final resting place of 400,000 service men and women, where several Junior Leaders were chosen to speak on military leaders who were buried there.

They were truly privileged to have an opportunity to visit the White House, where they were the first non-US nationals to enter the building since 2019. They were able to tour a number of the rooms that have been used for significant meetings, broadcasts and state dinners, as well as viewing the Capitol from the Oval window.

They were hosted by Congressman Barry Moore, with a Private Capitol Building Tour, and also visited the Library of Congress and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.

The JTYAF has received numerous letters of thanks from the Qualified Junior Leaders (QJL’s) who were selected for this trip. The impact of their experiences was evident, and their words have also had an enormous impact at JTYAF HQ.

We also received a thank you from the group:-
‘We want to thank The John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation for providing such a life-changing, thought-provoking, impactful and amazing learning experience through the bursary they have given to Junior Leaders Course 24.
If not for the work that the charity does, we would not have had this opportunity that has impacted our career choices for the future and given us that competitive advantage in life.
We would not have gained thought-provoking ideas that have sparked the drive for improvement, and the drive for development of our approaches to leadership and our future.
For all of the support you have given us, we thank everyone involved in JTYAF.’

One of the QJL’s mentioned the impact that the war memorials had had on the group and an extract from his letter includes this poignant comment:-

‘However, it was this quote ‘Freedom is not Free’ engraved into the black granite that reminded us of why we wish to serve and the values we want to uphold.’