Staff Ride Leaders and Guides

Anyone at any rank can lead a staff ride. It requires study, preparation and design on the part of the person(s) leading it, but the work is continuously aided by guides such as this one, as well as the increasing availability of “canned” staff rides (see Appendix A of this guide for an example). Specifically, staff ride leaders should meet the following criteria:

• If the topic is a battle, have a thorough understanding of the campaign or operational context within which it took place. For operations, the campaign context must be understood; for campaigns, the larger political environment and strategy should be understood.
• Understand the organizational, doctrinal, technological, logistical and social parameters of the topic as thoroughly as possible from both sides.
• Know the biographies of the opposing commanders and their key subordinates. Additionally, know the details about any person who played a pivotal role in the event (e.g. a Victoria Cross recipient, a key staff officer or planner, or any similar important actor).
• Know the opposing orders of battle, the sizes of formations and the capabilities of major and/or critical weapon systems.
• Be conversant in the movements and actions of the opposing formations and units in order to identify significant factors that affected the outcome of the event.
• Know the geography and terrain of the site where the event took place.
• Understand current Canadian Army doctrine and terminology so that the students can juxtapose past events to current approaches and draw usable observations, insights and lessons from those comparisons.
• Know one’s participants well enough to constantly gauge general interest and identify opportunities for deeper learning.
• Seek constructive feedback in order to refine and improve upon the staff ride for the next serial.