Breadcrumb academics academic departments history staff rides AIADS History (left) MENU Prospective Faculty Maps & Atlases Staff Rides and AIADs Style Guide Digital History Center Cadet Travel OpportunitiesThe Department of History sponsors several trip sections and Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) opportunities every year that allow cadets to visit places about which most have only read. From local day trips around the Hudson Valley and New York City to globetrotting adventures in France and Rwanda, there is a destination for every cadet to enjoy. To apply for a Spring Break 2023 staff ride, please click here to fill out a form. The deadline for all applications is 15 October 2022.A staff ride offers the opportunity for cadets to study a campaign or historical events in a classroom environment, experience the terrain of the actual battlefield or immerse themselves in a foreign culture to improve their understanding of the events that took place, and integrate the lessons learned from the combination of classroom and field study. All cadets are allowed to participate, although preference is given to History majors and concentrators, and to cadets with language proficiency in the region of study. Many cadets apply to fill a limited number of seats on each staff ride, and some apply for several years before being selected. Cadets learn about the campaign as a group and research various aspects of the campaign as individuals, giving presentations during the classroom and the field study phases of the staff ride. Staff ride participants regularly comment that the experience of presenting their research on the actual battlefield is one of the most memorable of their cadet careers. D-Day Staff Ride Available to all Cadets (12 Total) Spring Break 2023 Locations: Paris and Normandy Region of France Honor the courage and legacy of those that crossed the channel and stormed the beaches of Normandy, kicking off the invasion and liberation of Europe in June of 1944. For information regarding this staff ride, please contact Major Darren Johnson (darren.johnson@westpoint.edu). Apply for the D-Day Staff Ride Here Black History Project Staff Ride Available to all Cadets (12 Total) Spring Break 2023 Locations: Beaufort and Charleston, South Carolina Gain an on-the-ground perspective of African American service in the Civil War, focusing on the bravery of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment under Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. For information regarding this staff ride, please contact either Lieutenant Colonel Rory McGovern (rory.mcgovern@westpoint.edu) or Major Brian Sears (Brian.sears@westpoint.edu). Apply for the Black History Project Staff Ride Here Modern Britain Staff Ride Available to First, Second, and Third Year Cadets Spring Break 2023 Locations: London, York, and Edinburgh, United Kingdom Take a deep dive to better understand 19th and 20th century British history with a few excursions further into the past. Cadets will also have a chance to conduct archival research in London as part of this trip. For information regarding this staff ride, please contact Lieutenant Colonel Andy Whitford (andrew.whitford@westpoint.edu). Apply for the Modern Britain Staff Ride Here World War I Pilgrimage Staff Ride Available to First, Second, and Third Year Cadets Spring Break 2023 Locations: Paris and Reims, France, as well as other Western Front locations Follow the footsteps of the 26th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army as they arrived in Europe, trained, and deployed to the front by listening to their own stories. Cadets will also follow the massive movement and displacement of peoples throughout the war. For information regarding this staff ride, please contact Major Rose Horswill (rosanne.horswill@westpoint.edu). Apply for the World War One Pilgrimage Staff Ride Here