NPS What is a staff ride?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.Military parks and battlefields offer unique opportunities where today's military students can train on the actual lands where military actions took place. This tradition stems from when many battlefield parks were part of the war department prior to the 1930s. Then staff rides were conducted on horseback. Today military trainees travel on a bus through the park. The National Park Service preserves these places where future soldiers can learn from the stories and tactics of those who came before them 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. A staff ride focused on the First Battle of Manassas can include a briefing on Henry Hill, viewing the park's 45-minute orientation film, tour of battlefield locations, hiking the First Manassas loop-trail.
Correlations to modern military concepts may be found at the following locations: Stone Bridge
Henry Hill
Stone House
Staff Ride Requests and InformationAs of January 30, 2024, we no longer have availability to host staff rides in March, April, or May this year. However, you are welcome to come for an independent visit. Please use the contact us link below to let us know when you are coming and how many people will be with you. You can also use that link if you have any questions, including recommendations for your visit.Contact us to arrange a guided staff ride with park personnel. We can customize tours to meet your units interests, backgrounds, and needs. Our level of involvement varies from Park Ranger led staff rides to simply scheduling the unit/school's use of the grounds. We will work with you to ensure your training objectives are met. When emailing the park with the request, please include the following information: Action Officer Contact Information: Name: E-mail: Phone Number: Desired Dates: 1st Choice: 2nd Choice: 3rd Choice: Audience/ Level of War: Number of participants 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 Evolution of 19th Century Warfare Battlefield Communication |
Last updated: January 30, 2024