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Senior Cadets Conduct Gettysburg Staff Ride
Military Science Level IV Cadets from the Royal Warrior Battalion took part in the program’s annual Staff Ride to the Gettysburg National Battlefield on Nov. 4-5. The Military Staff Ride is a event designed to help cadets and officers gain insight into a specific battle or conflict in order to come away with a better understanding of military history, tactics, terrain analysis, as well as battle command+. A firm understanding of these areas is vital as they play into an officer’s ability to plan, execute and assess training and missions. The Army views the staff ride as a means of conveying the lessons of the past to the present day Army leadership for current application.
To help the cadets prepare for the Staff Ride, they were issued a copy of "They Met At Gettysburg," the 1956 text authored by General Edward Stackpole to read. All cadets were required to prepare and present two briefings as part of the event. On Friday evening, three groups of 10 to 12 cadets discussed days one, two and three of battle in order to set conditions for the next day and the actual tour of the battlefield. These briefings covered in detail the terrain, troop strengths for each side, key decisions made by the leadership of both forces, and the final outcome at the end of each day.
On Saturday, cadets and cadre arrived at the Battlefield’s Visitor Center to view a short film and browse of the collection of artifacts from the battle. From here the cadets set out to view the battlefield and walk the terrain at some 13 different points around Gettysburg. At each stop a team of three or four cadets briefed the key events that occurred at that particular point in the battle and the impact or outcome it resulted in. Cadets and Cadre also discussed how lessons from the past could be applied to today’s modern battlefield.
"The Staff Ride to the Gettysburg Battlefield was not only a great morale boost as the semester winds down, but also an excellent way to visually put into perspective some of the difficult decisions that had to be made by great army officers of our past, which will help us make the tough decisions as officers of the future," said senior Joshua Soto, cadet command sergeant major.
In addition to the cadets and cadre of the Military Science Department, Dr. Kathryn Meier from the University’s History Department joined the Staff Ride. This marks the second year in a row that Dr. Meier has participated in this event with the Military Science Department.
