How to Become a Licensed Battlefield Guide

By Karen Hendricks
Photo by Casey Martin

Licensed Battlefield Guide Tom Vossler leads a tour group. 

About 560 people have become licensed battlefield guides since 1915. Joining their elite ranks requires dedication in many ways. The first step is contacting Supervisory Ranger Angie Atkinson of the National Park Service (NPS) to submit your name as a candidate. She will begin accepting names this summer, in preparation for the next written exam, which is not yet scheduled. If there is a need for additional guides, exams are typically given on the first Saturday in December. During the past dozen years, the three-hour written exam has been offered every other year.

According to Licensed Battlefield Guide and ALBG Vice President Steve Slaughter, the exam covers the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War in general, the chronology of events, battle action, locations, maps, and identification of monuments—a comprehensive collection of information.

It’s also a highly-competitive process. Recent exams have been attracting between 200-300 candidates, with only the top 20 candidates moving on to oral examinations. Candidates are given two chances to pass the oral exam. The format is a two-hour “trial run” tour presented to two examiners—a NPS ranger and a current licensed battlefield guide.

If licensed, a guide must annually conduct a minimum number of tours and pay a guide fee. Guides are not required to become members of the ALBG; about 75 to 80 percent of current guides are also ALBG members.

The following advice is offered by current licensed battlefield guides:

• Take tours with current guides.
• Once the date of the next written test is announced, take advantage of a series of classes offered by the ALBG.
• A sample guide exam, along with guide reference books, are located on the ALBG website at www.gettysburgtourguides.org/faqs.html.
• “Successful guides are people persons—you have to have the right personality—be outgoing and enjoy people of all ages from kids to seniors—you have to enjoy people,” emphasizes Slaughter.

The Battle of Gettysburg: Through the Eyes of Michael Schroyer

By Karen Hendricks

The inside of Shroyer's diary (Photo courtesy of Sue Boardman)

Sue Boardman became a licensed battlefield guide thanks to a passion for Civil War history ignited by discovering and reading a diary written by Michael Schroyer, who served in Co. G, 147^th PA Volunteers, based in her hometown area of Snyder County.

Here are Schroyer’s diary entries at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, as he wrote them, but with locations capitalized:

Maryland June 30 Tuesday we marched through Taneytown. Crossed over into Pennsylvania and went through Littlestown and drove before us the enemys pickets with a skirmish at Littlestown capturing a few of the enemy. travelled 15 miles

July 1 1863 Wednesday we went back to Littlestown and took the Gettysburg pike and travelled within 11 miles to Gettysburg and stayed there all night very hard fighting.  Travelled about 12 miles

July 2 Thursday we went about 11 mile to the right of the line of battle and layed there until 12 o’clock at night when we again returned to our line of battle

July 3 the rebs then occupied our breastworks we commenced fighting about 5

o’clock in the morning and continued until two. About noon the rebs left the breastworks and we then went into them again. we left them on the night before the fight. The rebs then went into them but could not hold them. The wounded in our company are Calvin C. Parks in finger. Corporal bower Harris in hip. Thus ended the 3 of July. The rebs retreated with heavy loss

July 4 Saturday 1863 it was all along the line.  Quiet on the night of the 3 of July the rebs on a retreat. Our army burying the dead.

July 5 Sunday I was detailed to help bury rebel dead. we buried 42 rebs in one grave or trench and 31 rebs in another. we then went to marching.

In the Footsteps of Leaders

The Gettysburg Foundation Leadership Program

By Karen Hendricks

Photo by Casey Martin

Licensed Battlefield Guide Sue Boardman leads a tour group.

Since 2007, more than 100 clients have retraced the steps of officers across the Gettysburg Battlefield, studying movements and decisions made in 1863 in order to gain 21^st-century insights into leadership and communication styles.

“The battlefield is an experiential place,” explains Sue Boardman, licensed battlefield guide and leadership program director of Gettysburg Foundation. “The setting is so compelling…and the decisions made on the battlefield provided immediate and dramatic results.”

Boardman and a small team of licensed battlefield guides provide customized leadership programs for corporate groups ranging in size from 12 to 25 members, with programs lasting 1-2 days. More than 75 percent of their corporate clients are repeat customers. And since its founding in 2007, the program has always topped the previous year’s number of tours. In 2014, they provided 41 tours.

Corporate clients include such well-known companies as:

·       The Boeing Company

·       Lockheed Martin

·       Sherwin-Williams Company

·       The Hershey Company

·       Trader Joe’s

·       Crayola

·       White House Military Office

·       University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

Which Union and Confederate officers provide the most interesting case studies? “General Lee had a specific style of leadership…he was very aloof,” says Boardman. “So, he did not do a lot of specific communicating. He had lost his senior strategist, Stonewall Jackson, whom he replaced two weeks before the Battle of Gettysburg. Gen. Ewell had never served at that level and was also deficient in communications.”

Additional Civil War leadership styles presented within the program include:

John Buford: A middle management officer and the first Union general on the battlefield, he seized a battle-winning opportunity even though it was outside his job description.

James Longstreet: A Confederate general, he is known for making one of the toughest calls of the battle when he had to choose between the advice of his staff on the ground and his superior’s orders.

Joshua Chamberlain: This low-ranking Union officer provided a timeless example of “thinking outside the box” and “coolness under pressure” on the Gettysburg Battlefield.

Here’s what clients had to say:

“In both the private sector and in government, the most prized attribute for any executive is leadership. Leaders impart vision, set the agenda, and inspire. And most successful leaders are not ‘born’—they are made. The Gettysburg Leadership Experience is an ideal program to help “make” future leaders. I engaged with the national treasure called Gettysburg while I was superintendent at West Point, and l have taken business leaders on battlefield ‘staff rides’ in my current position with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In every case, the feedback from participants clearly indicated that their exposure to the Gettysburg battlefield, through the ‘lens’ of leadership, was one of the best development opportunities they had ever encountered.”

Lieutenant Gen. (Retired) Dan Christman, Former Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point

“This was the best battle staff ride I ever experienced. I am a retired colonel USMC and have had three previous battle staff rides at Gettysburg.”

Martin J. Sullivan, Lockheed Martin

“The way the moves were broken down and used as leadership philosophies was a terrific learning tool.” 

Anthony Ferrera, CSX

“The feedback I've received from the group has been nothing short of remarkable. Both days of the conference worked exceptionally well together and I am convinced that it was an extraordinary experience for everyone. I believe the educational value of the program was unmistakable and I look forward to working with you in the years ahead to bring other groups of our talented Franklin & Marshall community to the Battlefield. Thank you again for all that you did to make this event such a resounding success.”

Steven P. O'Day, J.D., Senior Associate Dean of the College F&M College

“As we all gathered at the airport on our way home, we reflected on what each of us got from [the Footsteps program] and it is not an understatement to say that it will be ‘life changing.’”

Dan Bane, Chairman and CEO, Trader Joe’s