Staff ride takes CGSC students to Chancellorsville

Students from Fort Belvoir's Command and General Staff College Intermediate-Level Education class recently traded their class work for a staff ride to Virginia's historic Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial.

There, the students learned the history of the Battle of Chancellorsville and examined the tactics that allowed Gen. Robert E. Lee to defeat Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker and the Army of the Potomac, in what is known as "Lee's Greatest Victory."

"Since the early 20th century, officers of the U.S. Army have honed their professional knowledge and skills by conducting staff rides to historical battlefields," explained Maj. Eric Brown, a student with staff group 29A. "Often, these educational exercises have focused on the tactical level of war through a detailed examination of a single battle."

ILE students had the opportunity to walk the terrain of the Civil War battlefield to get a feel for how Soldiers of that era operated. Instead of simply learning the history of a particular battle, students had to research the tactics used and the environment the battle was fought in and relate those experiences to what they may face as leaders in the future.

Chris Keller, associate professor of military history at CGSC's Belvoir campus, and other faculty helped students make the connection between the events at Chancellorsville and what they learn in ILE.
The staff ride is just one part of the Army's efforts to continue the education and training of its officer corps while at ILE.

Details on the specific days of the battle are available on the Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania National Military Park Web page, nps.gov/frsp/.

(Bartlett is a student in CGSC ILE Staff Group 29A)