On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, students enrolled in the Missouri State Defense and Strategic Studies (DSS) graduate seminar on “Leadership for National Security Professionals” explored the Gettysburg Civil War Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  This fieldtrip is led every semester by DSS Professor John Rose, a retired US Army General Officer,  as part of his graduate seminar.  The purpose of Prof. Rose’s fieldtrip to the Gettysburg Battlefield is to study, analyze and assess political and military leadership and the decision making process at both junior and senior levels during the three day battle which took place from July 1-3, 1865.  Study focused on the overall strategic, operational and tactical aspects of this historic military event in American history.  Students toured the museum to see first hand the technology of the day, the uniforms soldiers wore, the state of medical care, the weaponry of the day and to understand the geopolitical background leading to this fateful three day battle between Union and Confederate soldiers.  It was a moving experience when students walked the ground of Pickett’s Confederate Division charge where over 3,000 Americans–North and South–died in just over three hours of battle the afternoon of July 3, 1865.   The day long visit ended with a visit to the Gettysburg cemetery where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address just months after the battle.  It was an invaluable learning experience taking students “back in time” to a critical event in our American history.  This fieldtrip led by Prof. Rose is consistently praised by DSS students as one of their most valuable learning experiences.