Military Staff Rides

Staff rides remain an integral part of Professional Military Education, as well as a viable tool to foster Esprit-de-corps within a unit or a unit’s leadership team.

A well-designed staff ride challenges participants to use their own experiences and knowledge as they play an active role in a discussion of decisions and other factors that impacted the outcome of past battles while viewing the actual terrain.

Through the use of the staff ride, future leaders can learn how to use past events and decisions, to enhance their critical reasoning and thinking skills to apply in our nation’s future conflicts. Conducting staff rides on the actual terrain also provides the ability to “unplug” from day-to-day operations and focus on the understanding and ability to apply the principles of war.

 

Park Ranger Charlie Spearman conducts a staff ride for service members at Shiloh National Military Park.                   
NPS Photo

 

Secretary of War Elihu Root

Library of Congress

Brief History of Staff Rides

The Military Staff Ride can trace its roots back to the late nineteenth century and the Kingdom of Prussia. Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, began the use of the staff ride while serving as the Chief of the Great [German] General Staff (Großer Generalstab).

The first use of the staff ride within the United States Military wasn’t until Elihu Root became Secretary of War (August 1899 to January 1904). Root focused energy into reforming the Army Officer Education System to include forming the Army War College. His emphasis on the importance of using Civil War battlefields as an extension of the classroom led to the development of the staff ride system the United States Military uses today.

 

1907 Army War College Staff Ride At Antietam
Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks

NPS

Staff Ride Requests and Information

The Shiloh National Battlefield and the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center host several staff rides each year. Our Park Rangers can tailor a staff ride to accommodate all levels of leadership, from the General Officer/ Flag Officer/ Senior Executive Service to military cadets.

Our level of involvement varies from Park Ranger led staff rides to simply scheduling the unit/ schools use of the grounds. We will work with you to ensure your training objectives are met.

For more information, contact our education coordinator by e-mail. Please include the following:

 

Action Officer Contact Information:
Name:
E-mail:
Phone Number:

Desired Dates:
1st Choice:
2nd Choice:
3rd Choice:

Audience/ Level of War:
Participants level of understanding
Level of War (or combination)

Focus of the staff ride:
Military Decision-Making Process
Leadership Challenges
Logistics
Combined Arms and/or Joint Operations
Command and Control
Use of Military Intelligence assets
The Human Dimension
Training and Discipline
Other

 

Staff ride requests are normally processed within 48 hours of receipt.