In the snow and ice of January, Soldiers from the Army Contracting Command-New Jersey Contracting Battalion began a six-part series of professional leadership development, self-guided, one-day staff rides.
Following a combined ACC-NJ and ACC-Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, staff ride to Gettysburg National Battlefield in October, Lt. Col. James Craig, ACC-NJ Contracting Battalion commander, continued to use the staff ride model to incorporate Army and American history and sites in the New Jersey region to foster critical thinking, appreciation of Army and Army Contracting history and heritage, camaraderie, and esprit de corps. The battalion operates from two geographically separate locations--U.S Army Support Activity--Fort Dix and Picatinny Arsenal.
Craig began working with Mikhael Weitzel, ACC command historian, in the fall of 2014 to develop the staff rides. Craig outlined a series of six sites related to the American Revolution with a plan for visiting one per month beginning in January. Weitzel collected and suggested reading materials and video that combined information on the sites being visited, the battles and campaigns of the American Revolution, the contracting and sustainment supporting them and suggested discussion topics.
Information in hand, Craig began execution in January in Philadelphia focusing on cultural and situational awareness. Prior to the site visits, participants reviewed video and read about the Continental Congress's struggles toward declaring independence and the financial support of the new army.
Five months into the six-month schedule, Maj. Robert Massey, 723rd Contracting Team leader, said the staff rides have affected the battalion in "two unique but important ways."
"First, the staff rides have focused predominantly on the Revolutionary War," he said, "an incredibly divisive and vulnerable period in our nation's history, both from a political and military standpoint. The trip to Philadelphia demonstrated just how critical a strong central government was to ensuring a well-equipped and motivated Army. That connection is ever present in today's Army, with many, both in the military and outside of it, routinely debating the content of our national military strategy.
"These staff rides also serve to bring a geographically separated battalion together on a routine basis," Massey said. "More than anything, the camaraderie that these staff rides build ensures that ACC-NJ is able to field strong teams for worldwide deployments. "
February found the battalion in Brooklyn and Harlem, New York, focusing on the Battle of Long Island and critical analysis of the disparities between Washington's close, yet limited logistics base compared to the British extensive but lengthy supply lines.
Revolutionary War contract administration provided the framework during the March staff ride to Princeton, New Jersey and the Delaware River. Staff Sgt. Patrick Kennison, 867th CT, said, "Without the use of these staff rides the two centers would really only know each other from emails and phone calls. The staff rides have brought all the military together and allowed us to learn not only the history of the American Revolution, but the lives of our other contingency contracting officers."
April saw the battalion in Manhattan, this time focusing on the British occupation during the Revolution. This trip offered the opportunity to bridge the Army's history from the origins of the Revolution to today.
Staff Sgt. Stephanie Nye, 867th CT, commenting on the impact of the staff rides said, "There is so much history around us that we are ignorant to its existence."
The staff rides have positively affected the Soldiers, according to Capt. Eugene Choi, 866th CT leader.
"The staff rides help build a stronger team by allowing personal interactions between members who do not see each other on a normal basis," Choi said. "They are also very informative because you are able to visit historic battlefields and imagine how leaders tactically and strategically maneuvered their troops."
Craig said he was "extremely pleased" with the Soldiers' interest and involvement.
"We are surrounded by American history here in New Jersey and this state played a much larger role in the formation of our great nation than I ever realized prior to this portion of our professional development session," he said. "I'm so thankful that we were able to do something like this."
Massey said he believes this type of training would benefit other ACC units. "These staff rides provide the benefit of creative thinking, both in terms of planning and resourcing the trips and in approaching the historical context of the event."
Weitzel said he was glad to assist the battalion with recommendations and collecting research to assist with training.
"The Army's history began with the appointment of a general, the allocation of money and contracting," Weitzel explained. "That has evolved ever since. Each of our units have opportunities in their geographic area to explore this history"
Over the next two months the battalion will visit West Point, New York, and Monmouth, New Jersey, completing the six-month training plan.
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