Staff Ride:   The staff ride is a unique technique for conveying the lessons of the past to present day leaders. In a general sense, its sole purpose is to further the development of leaders. It may be designed to achieve one or many objectives.By focusing on the timeless and universal aspects of teamwork, staff rides provide important insights into military operations, concepts of leadership, and the face of battle, through vignettes and topics for discussion.

The Value of Staff Rides:

The Knights Battalion JROTC has adopted a technique for leader-development and team-building inspired by the U.S. Army’s staff ride.  The modern staff ride started in 1906 with a trip to the Civil War battlefield of Chickamauga by student officers from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  The concept was revived in the 1980s and has been an educational staple for commanders since then. For Cadets, a staff ride allows a battalion commander (BC) and his/her subordinates to study the decisions and actions of historical leaders in a campaign and battle by walking over the same terrain, viewing Fort Johnson’s museum, tactical park, and studying the combat that took place in various wars to develop insights into tactical doctrine, logistics, communications, and combat systems.  It is a systematic analysis of the site of a battle or fortification to learn about the impact of geography, weather, and human interactions on key historical events. The focus in the final analysis is on leadership as participants share a common experience while gaining different frames of reference through the eyes of the many that has served our great nation..

The Purpose of Staff Rides:

To help commanders and staff officers develop their judgment and hone their intelligence so that they can lift the fog of war before they are faced with the pressures of combat or the budget cycle.  As participants walk the battlefield, they are forced to confront the realities of terrain, fatigue, and the tactical scenario. Corporate leaders have drawn the same value from staff rides. As the experiences unfold, Cadets have discovered that command and leadership involve both art and science.  While technology changes, the art of leading others has a continuity through the ages.  Assessing the decisions and actions of commanders and soldiers on battlefields from the past allows present leaders to think through their own challenges away from the classroom and, for Cadets, without the pressure of actual enlisting in the miitary.  For a few hours, they get to walk in another leader’s shoes to gain experiences without paying any real price. 

Fort Johnson’s staff ride, in particular provides Cadets the opportunity to visit its outdoor and or indoor museum. A indoor virtual marksmanship training. this gives the students the ability to experience what warfighters do to prepare for combat operations. They may also have the opportunity to opportunity to experience realistic tactical vehicle operations preparing for rollovers). The staff ride triggers the Cadets view on Army traditions, artifacts and arts used to support the U.S. Armed Forces. Classes implemented prior to the staff ride are; Custom and courtesies, Building the Team, Resolving conflicts, Preventing Bullying &violence, Appreciating diversity, First Aid for Common Injuries, and individual Personal Skills Maps, just to name a few.

Cadets may also have the privilege to visit Fort Johnson’s Dunkin Donuts, Warriors Bowling Lanes, and Klubs & Karts mini golf and go-kart center. 

Military History https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30538-AR_870-5-000-WEB-1.pdf

U.S. Army Heraldry https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30056-AR_840-10-000-WEB-1.pdf

Note: Parent’s Permission Forms will be sent home for signatures no later than three weeks prior to the administration’s approval of the trip.