Maj. General James Simpson, commanding general, U.S. Army Contracting Command, took 40 members of the ACC and U.S. Expeditionary Contracting Command combined staff to the Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on April 6, for staff ride.
The staff studied the battle from the perspective of its place in history and the lessons learned that apply to ACC today.
During the staff ride, Mikhael Weitzel, ACC command historian, covered the importance and impact of logistics to both sides during the battle and the campaign before and after the battle. He also pointed to the Civil War as the foundation of modern Army contracting. He discussed operational contracting as it evolved during the Civil War, the early development and foundation of the organic industrial base, the importance of operational contracting and sustainment logistics and how those developments made the difference between victory and defeat.
The Battle of Stones River, or Second Battle of Murfreesboro, occurred between December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee. The battle took place in Murfreesboro due to the railroad running through Middle Tennessee, and its importance to the contract-driven logistics of the U.S. Army.
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