The 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.