Photo By Jean Wines | Attendees listen in as Dr. J. Britt McCarley, chief historian, TRADOC, shows a cannon...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LANGLEY - EUSTIS, Va. — As ceremonies, festivals and parades to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War and the Army 250th milestone birthday took place across the country, learning about the true significance of these anniversaries and understanding the past is a vital component to the Army’s history and the lessons that it holds for the future.
In celebration of the birthday week, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Military History Office hosted four lectures and two related staff rides. The final two lectures were stand-alone presentations also hosted by the G-2.
The first lecture and staff ride highlighted the summary, analysis and iterations of the 1780-1781 Virginia Campaign and culminating Siege of Yorktown from 1781. The second half of the week covered the summary, analysis and iteration of the September 1864 Battles of New Market Heights and Fort Harrison.
“The lectures and accompanying staff rides relate to the Army 250th Birthday in that they are significant moments in Army history, and they are local enough to allow us to visit them conveniently for study,” said Dr. J. Britt McCarley, chief historian, TRADOC.
The focal point of the lecture series on the Siege of Yorktown was the PMESII-PT variables, a structured approach for an action in an operational environment in which a thorough analysis of the external environment is conducted. The political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, and time variables were all used to analyze 1780 and 1781. Throughout the lecture, Dr. Joseph Rainer, deputy chief historian, TRADOC, explained the importance of each variable and how it impacted the operation.
The second lecture and staff ride concentrated on Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Union 5th Offensive against the Confederates in Richmond and Petersburg, and the associated Battle of New Market Heights and Battle of Fort Harrison.
During both staff rides, McCarley gave attendees a first-hand look at these pivotal moments in American history and provided the opportunity for them to see the landscape where the siege and battles occurred.
“By putting our feet on hallowed ground at Yorktown, New Market Heights, and Fort Harrison, all the participants will have a direct, physical connection with the Army from those time periods and the actions it took either to secure national independence on the one hand or preserve the union and free the enslaved population on the other,” said McCarley.
Throughout the staff rides, McCarley used “stands,” also known as stopping points, to discuss and illustrate different aspects of the battle. This presents a unique method of stepping back in time to convey the lessons of the past to the present and bring to life the very location where different historic encounters took place.
“More traditional methods would be individual reading or classroom presentations of one kind or another. Staff rides, as practiced by the U.S. Army today, are now divided into two overall types — traditional and virtual,” commented McCarley. “Both types of staff rides, but especially the traditional version, are powerful learning tools because they allow participants to go to the scene of the action as a supplement to reading about the subject and studying it on a map. Visitation, especially to actual historic locations, entails being present on hallowed ground where Soldiers have served and some of them have given their lives in that service.”
The visit to the location of the Siege of Yorktown gave attendees a glimpse into what occurred on the grounds and the strategic decision-making of essential key leaders, specifically George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Lord Cornwallis, the British General, and Comte de Rochambeau, commander of the French Expeditionary Force.
This staff ride highlighted the unique methods of leadership development and the study of the sometimes very complex decisions that these officers had to make to navigate through the battle and support their troops.
“Concerning this particular siege, Cornwallis faced a moment of truth when the French and Americans arrived at Yorktown,” said McCarley. “He withdrew from his outer line of earthworks and told his men to watch carefully for signs of the allies beginning to dig siege trenches.”
The point of this outer line was to deny the Americans and French immediate access to ground on which to build their siege works. Cornwallis wanted to make it difficult for them and didn't want them to simply move in and immediately construct earthworks.
Cornwallis’ approach showcased not just his leadership, but his tactics, strategy, and methods of communications, which are the fundamentals often highlighted during staff rides.
The Battles of New Market Heights and Fort Harrison followed the same structure highlighting the critical September 1864 engagement during the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It was noteworthy for the significant role played by the United States Colored Troops.
Though the Union offensive in late September both to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond and to isolate Petersburg by cutting the remaining lines of communication into that city failed, the USCTs fought bravely and effectively, especially at New Market Heights, and received fourteen Medals of Honor for their service. Sgt. Maj. Christian A. Fleetwood, a MOH recipient in the 4th USCT, rallied his regiment during the fighting and restored order to the survivors of his unit after the assault on the heights.
“For decades now, the Army has taught the staff ride to Army leaders as an element of their formal leader development in the service schools. Once in units and on staffs, staff ride activities have become part of those same leaders’ professional development,” said McCarley. “Today the staff ride is both one of the most popular and most effective Professional Development tools across the Army for Soldiers and civilians.”
Patrick Deck, safety and occupational health manager, TRADOC, attended the first staff ride and said he enjoyed the study of the siege and the thorough discussion points.
“I have always been deeply interested in the history of our country, and I see every opportunity to explore it as a chance to expand my understanding and appreciation for the events and people that shaped our nation,” he commented. “Attending the staff ride and learning about the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 allowed me to connect with this pivotal moment in American history in a meaningful and immersive way.”
In addition to learning about these key battles and seeing the landscape firsthand, attendees were able to ask questions and have detailed discussions during each stand.
“Some of my most rewarding moments during a staff ride have been when a participant asks a question or makes a comment that ignites discussion in the group that can even be self-sustaining from location to location throughout the staff ride,” reflected McCarley. “The more discussion, debate, and critical thinking the better.”
These lecture series and staff rides have proved to be educational for the attendees, and beneficial for the historians conducting them.
“Staff rides have been paired with celebrations and commemorations to round out an agenda so that it includes elements of Army history and heritage to boost esprit de corps, refine critical thinking skills, and emphasize elements of both the military art and science and the corollary of the profession of arms,” remarked McCarley.
The last historical lecture series of the week included a presentation from one of the TRADOC historians and the TRADOC G-2 on the Army’s role in the Pacific during WWII and the relevance to the current threats in that region posed by the People’s Republic of China.
| Date Taken: | 06.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2025 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 500657 |
| Location: | FORT EUSTIS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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