The U.S. Embassy Bridgetown is proud to announce that two cadets and one officer from the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) Cadet Corps have been selected to participate in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (CGJROTC) Junior Leadership Academy. This prestigious event unfolded at the Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in North Carolina.
The Junior Leadership Academy hosts approximately 90 cadets and 20 instructors from CGJROTC units across the United States, with the Barbados cadets making history as the first-ever participants from outside the United States.

Throughout their week, cadets participated in a variety of challenging activities designed to enhance their leadership skills and teamwork capabilities. Among these activities – marksmanship, nautical navigation, first aid, low ropes courses, and time aboard Coast Guard boats and aircraft. The rigorous schedule had early-morning physical training, drill and sports competitions, and a “cadet-led, instructor-coached” philosophy, ensuring that all participants return to their home units with enhanced leadership abilities.
This groundbreaking exchange program fulfills requests made last year by Prime Minister Mia Mottley and BDF Chief of Staff, Commodore Errington Shurland, to increase youth engagement through the BDF Cadet Corps. U.S. Embassy Bridgetown and the U.S. Coast Guard are honored to support this initiative, which promises to strengthen ties between our nations and develop the next generation of leaders.
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