When I first arrived at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), I had no idea what a staff ride was—little did I know how much it would come to define my experience there. I quickly learned that a staff ride is an immersive, on-site study of a historical military campaign or battle that connects history, theory, and decision-making. Participants prepare extensively in advance, then travel to the actual locations to deliver short presentations and examine why key decisions were made, what alternatives existed, and how those choices shaped outcomes. The ultimate goal is to draw enduring lessons about leadership, strategy, and judgment under pressure that remain relevant today.

The staff ride tradition dates back to the eighteenth-century Prussian General Staff and was later incorporated into U.S. military education under Secretary of War Elihu Root in the early twentieth century. Since then, the U.S. military has conducted thousands of staff rides around the world. SAIS adopted this tradition roughly twenty-five years ago, adding its own distinctive lens: in addition to tactical and operational insights, participants examine political decision-making, grand strategy, societal impacts, and the broader policy implications of war.

About a year ago, I had the opportunity to help lead SAIS’s Spring Staff Ride to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Going in, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I quickly learned just how much planning a staff ride demands. You’re essentially trying to distill a battle involving tens of thousands of people into a single, cohesive day.

SAIS students traditionally divide leadership responsibilities into dedicated teams. Two Quartermasters oversee and lead the staff ride; the research team develops the narrative and assigns historical figures; logistics manages transportation, meals, and accommodations; and communications designs the patch, produces the flyaway book, and documents the experience. The flyaway book is the true centerpiece of the staff ride. It includes maps, orders of battle, and campaign overviews, as well as character pages for all forty participants—complete with biographies and research objectives for their stands—alongside acknowledgments from the Quartermasters recognizing the leadership team, sponsors, and participants.

Helping lead the Gettysburg ride was an incredible experience. It combined history, strategy, and teamwork in a way that made the past feel alive—and gave me a real appreciation for all the work behind the scenes.

After helping out with Gettysburg, I decided I wanted to try leading a Staff Ride myself. I proposed the Battle of Harpers Ferry—selfishly, because ever since moving to Washington, D.C., I had wanted to get out to Harpers Ferry. I spoke with the professor in charge of organizing and approving the staff ride and learned that the fall staff ride is normally two days, with an overnight stay somewhere. After a little research, I realized there was only one day between the Battle of Harpers Ferry and the Battle of Antietam. So, after convincing one of my dear friends and classmates, we agreed to co-Quartermaster the exercise.

Knowing we had about a month between classes starting and the weekend of the staff ride, we did much of the preparation over the summer—writing our narrative, picking most of the characters, and beginning talks with campsites and bus vendors. We formed our leadership team within the first week of classes, had 40 participants selected by the second week, and the following week headed out on our scouting trip. Instead of two days, we spent one wandering through the town of Harpers Ferry and the Antietam battlefield—making sure locations for stands were correct, figuring out places to eat, touring campsites, and coming up with contingency rain plans.

After returning, we assigned stands to participants, held a pre-trip briefing to cover all the weekend logistics, and made sure all meals were planned, camping gear was ready, buses were booked, and patches and flyaway books were ordered.

We met bright and early on the morning of Saturday, September 27th at SAIS and began loading the bus. As participants arrived, we checked everyone in and made sure they were accounted for. After a short two-hour drive from Washington, D.C., we arrived in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. My co-Quartermaster kicked off the start of the staff ride with a presentation as John Brown. Harpers Ferry is often remembered as the Union’s largest loss in the Civil War, with over 12,000 troops and weapons surrendered, but it was first well known for John Brown’s raid on the armory to inspire a slave rebellion. It only felt right to begin there.

From the original site of John Brown’s Fort—and the now-rebuilt fort—you get some truly scenic views. Harpers Ferry sits at the convergence of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet, and is framed by three large peaks: Bolivar, Loudoun, and Maryland Heights.

It was here that one of SAIS’s own, the distinguished Professor John E. McLaughlin, took on the role of Secretary of State William H. Seward for his stand.

Throughout the day, we moved to several key locations, including Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s headquarters at Murphy Farm. There, we heard from the historical figure and conducted stands on the importance of terrain. The Confederates had used the three surrounding heights to execute what we now call a pincer strategy, trapping Union forces below. Emma Sampson (MAIR first-year) delivered a particularly useful stand on Force Posture, explaining the positioning of Union and Confederate troops using a topographic map. Her stand helped us not only understand the land we were looking at but also visualize where the lines of soldiers were placed.

We then moved to Bolivar Heights, the Storer College Campus, and eventually wrapped up at Lockwood House, where the Union officially surrendered. Chase Harward (MAIR first-year) was a great sport and delivered a fantastic stand as Colonel Dixon S. Miles—infamous for being a drunken general who failed to defend Harpers Ferry and tragically died after being struck in the leg by shrapnel.

We concluded the day with a SAIS tradition of reflection, exploring questions like: What can we learn from this battle for the future of warfare? Which factors are still relevant today? What lessons does it offer about command and decision-making in war? Professors McLaughlin, Mahnken, and Lindsey were incredibly helpful in guiding this discussion, and it’s always a pleasure to spend time with faculty outside the classroom, hearing their insights in a more informal, conversational setting.

Following day one, we headed to our campsite for the night at Harpers Ferry Adventure Center. Split between cabins and tents, it was a wonderful evening. We spent time chatting with classmates at the brewery, roasting s’mores over the campfire, and simply enjoying some time outside the city.

The campgrounds themselves were absolutely beautiful, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that if you ever get the chance to hike around Harpers Ferry, the Adventure Center comes highly recommended.

Bright and early on Sunday, September 28th, we had a quick breakfast, packed up, and headed to Antietam National Battlefield. Just a short 30-minute drive from Harpers Ferry, we played Civil War–era music on the bus, reflecting on how, 163 years and 11 days earlier, soldiers from Harpers Ferry were making this same trip across the Virginia countryside to join their fellow troops at Antietam.

Anyone who has studied strategy or read Clausewitz understands the concept of the fog of war. Accounts of Antietam describe the fresh morning dew and thick fog that covered the battlefield before the fighting began. So when we approached the battlefield by bus, with visibility limited to just 50-100 yards, it felt eerie—and served as the perfect scene-setter for the day ahead.

General George McLellan and General Robert E. Lee kicked us off. We then moved to Dunker Church, which served as both a headquarters and a hospital during the war. Nick Meeker (MAIR, second-year) gave a powerful stand as Pvt. Henry Winters, a relatively unknown soldier in the 89th Division who etched his name into the wood on the back of the church. He conveyed what it was like as a 17-year-old to witness the horrors of battle, providing a grounded, human perspective after hearing from the Generals. Natalie Beckford (MAIR, second-year) delivered a stand as Clara Barton, a nurse during the battle who would later go on to establish the Red Cross.

We kept moving to the Bloody Cornfield and Sunken Road continuing to hear from other soldiers and key people about the progression of the battle throughout the day.

We ended the day at Burnside Bridge and Antietam National Cemetery. Brett Lucy (MAIR, second-year) delivered a captivating stand as Andrew Gardner, a Civil War photographer whose work remains famous today. Finally, Professor Thomas Mahnken closed out the staff ride as Abraham Lincoln, explaining just how pivotal Antietam was to the war effort. The Battle of Antietam remains the bloodiest single day in American history, with over 23,000 soldiers killed. This Union victory ultimately paved the way for President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states were to be set free.

As per tradition, we closed the staff ride with a dinner before heading back to Washington, D.C. It was an incredible two days, studying and analyzing the past on the ground alongside classmates and professors, and getting a sense of what those who came before us experienced. Looking ahead, I am part of the organizing team for the 2026 International Staff Ride, where we will study the World War II Liberation of Italy, moving from Salerno to Rome, alongside many of the same people who joined us in the fall. I am also looking forward to the Spring Staff Ride, which will hopefully cover a Revolutionary War battle in honor of America’s 250th birthday!

I’ve included some of the materials discussed throughout this post here, including our flyaway book and our pre-trip briefing slides—so anyone reading can get a sense of what it takes to plan a staff ride. As always, I am deeply thankful to my leadership team who helped make this possible, the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at SAIS, our professors and guests who joined us, the participants who made it all worthwhile, and, of course, my co-Quartermaster.