The Staff Ride: Three Phases

Whether virtual or physical, staff rides are typically divided into three phases. There is no set length of time for each phase, nor is it necessary to spend the same amount of time on each phase. The subject chosen will dictate, for example, whether more time is needed for preliminary study than for walking the ground, or vice versa. Similarly, the last phase can range from a simple summary to several weeks or months of follow-on learning. Specifically, the three phases are the following:

Preliminary Study Phase

The first phase of a staff ride is the preliminary study. Prior to visiting either the physical or virtual site(s) of the chosen staff ride, students will engage in directed self-study and exploration of the topic and its main elements. Questions to be discussed during the next phase of the staff ride should be distributed during this phase so that students may adequately prepare to be actively engaged during the field and/or lab study.

Field and/or Battle Lab Study Phase

During this phase, the staff leader(s), guide(s), and students come together at the location(s) of the staff ride and, under the direction of the staff leader, work through the topics and problems of the case. Students will draw on the knowledge gained during the preliminary study phase and combine it with what they are seeing on the ground or in the lab. Depending on which method or approach the staff leader and guides have taken, students  will investigate, examine, challenge and analyze the problem from a number of perspectives and points of interest. For example, discussions may revolve around leadership and command, tactical decisions, technological challenges and the like, allowing the students to make observations and draw insights from their examination of the elements, which in turn will assist them during the next phase of the staff ride.

Observations, Insights and Lessons Phase

Having completed their field study and/or virtual lab, in the third phase of the staff ride students bring all the pieces together: preliminary study, field observations, investigations and discussion, and their own analysis. From those, they draw judgments and insights that may identify salient lessons, and they can then assess whether the Army has forgotten or learned those lessons. In some cases, there may be no clear answer, but that does not diminish the value of asking the question. Indeed, one of the greatest returns on investing in a staff ride is seeing students develop their own investigative abilities and, by doing so, become better military problem solvers.

Again, depending on the method applied, the last part of this phase may involve a student deliverable: an individual or group presentation, or perhaps a service paper or research report. This activity should be strongly encouraged, as it offers a chance for the students to further organize their thoughts as well as practise the key communication skills of speaking and operational writing.