Topic: Primary Leadership Qualification Course (PLQ formerly JLC/JNCO formerly CLC) Q&A

[ObedientiaZelum]

And all the other terms applicable;

Come this january im going to be ona plq or jlc (whatever it‘s called) course.(for reserve infantry if that matters) Some friends of mine from another regiment who are on it as well are taking a sort of pre-jlc course. I however will be showing up with no such pre-training. I‘ve been in section level leadership rolls on and off for 4 years now but i‘ve never had to mess around with making up orders, giving drill and all that other great stuff.
My question is; is there a link on some canadian site or a list of information that could give me a bit of heads up. I could possibly familiarize myself with some of the stuff i‘ll be doing.  Maybe what the course is comprised of, the po‘s etc..

Any help would be greatly appriciated, thanks

[Sharpie]

PLQ is now divided into 6 mods, the 6th being the field portion.

 Mods 1 through 5 are comprised of physical training, range, computer based learning and discipline (drill etc...)

 I‘m currently going through Mod 5...bring a pillow! Sit and read from the DIN is all it is, PO check isn‘t until the summer. Range weekend is learning to run a range and the butts. Drill is what it used to be pretty much. Learn the 39 (I think) words of command. And then you have the law classes.

If you don‘t have access to the DIN, you are pretty much SOL for coarse outline etc... I‘ve looked and found nothing.

Express test...if you fail it, oh well, do it later in the coarse. Miss a Mod, make that up later as well. It‘s making the coarse alot more Reserve friendly.

[Calg Highr 0081]

Go to your RSS WO and sign out a copy of the Section and Platoon in Battle.  Go to the Army Electronic Library and download a copy of  B-GL-332-001/FP-001 Vol 2 - Tactical Aide-Memoire
 http://armyapp.dnd.ca/ael/Default.asp.  Also download  B-GL-392-004/FP-001 - Infantry, Volume 4, Patrolling , and  B-GL-382-001/FP-001- A Guide for Instructors .  That should get you started.

[ObedientiaZelum]

Thanks a lot guys i really appriciate it.
The link you sent me to didn‘t work however
Or is that part of the military computer system?

[ObedientiaZelum]

NM got it to work, im as computer litterate as garfield. i‘m old school you see, back when i joined we didn‘t have computers. We used an abbacus    

(j/k)

[~RoKo~]

Is the current PLQ equivalent to the reg force version? i.e., would I have to take it over again if I where to join the regs?

[combat_medic]

The former JLC/JNCO was the same as the reg force, and the new PLQ is supposed to be as well, though I‘m told the regs have one more mod about leadership within a garrison and on base, which obviously doesn‘t apply to the MO. If you got it and when reg, they‘d probably just make you do that mod.

[combat_medic]

Well, I just found out that I‘m getting loaded on MODs 2 and 4 of this new PLQ couse

(translation: PLQ = Primary Leadership Qualification, the course that‘s replaced JLC)

So, does anyone know what all the mods are, in which order they need to be done, and the approximate duration of each? This whole thing is confusing as he||. Has anyone been through this yet or instructed on any of the mods? Any advice?

[MJP]

Don‘t know the exact names they call it mod just what you do in them.  Just finished mods 1-4 and going on 5&6 in Feb.

Mod 1- Physical fitness;  learn and take a variety of classes on body mechanics, proper warm-up and cool down, as well as learning what the CF/PSP has to offer to help in planning and implementing physical fitness plans.  At the end you teach a 20 minute class, that includes warm-up and cool down. 5 days

Mod 2- How to teach; Learn how to teach drill, skill and knowledge lesson‘s.  Also learn how to properly implement and use Training aids and make proper lesson plans. 8 days(needs to be longer)

Mod 3- Range duties; Learn the duties of all the range staff, then participate as an ARSO, ammo NCO, background activity NCO. 2 days

Mod 4- Military justice; computer based course that involves learning how to use the CFAO‘s and the QRO‘s.  Focuses mostly on military law.

Mod 5- Military writing; I haven‘t been on this on this one but again I was told it is comp based and you pretty much learn how to write memo‘s, PDR‘s and Per‘s.  5 days

Mod 6- Field phase; longest mod at 28(around) training days.  Lots of stuff in this one;
Written PC‘s & EC‘s
-201, includes material covered in mods 1-5
-207 Offensive operations
-208 Defensive operations
-209 patrolling and navigation
Practical PC‘s and EC‘s
-210 prepare PER narrative
-206 small party tasks
-207 control weapons fire and target indication
-208 lead a sect to advance to contact and quick attack.
-208 lead a sect during occupation of the defense or routine in the defense
-209 navigation by day and night
-209 lead a recce patrol

Infantry guys once done mod 6 still have to take a further 3 week course that goes more in depth in the field stuff. Hope this helps.

[combat_medic]

Boy, that‘s detailed... thanks a lot!!!

[Rider Pride]

Hello fellow medic..
I finished it all before Christmas.
Here in Petawawa we did it in this order:
Mod 5, then 1,2,3,4&5 Starting 4 Sept until Thanksgiving. Then the Wends after moved into quarters for Mod 6 for 6 wks gradding on Nov 27 if I remember correctly. As my was the first ran by LFCA training center, it was truely an experience. They have made modifications to the 2 courses that are on currently. If you have any questions don‘t hesitate to ask...  

[ObedientiaZelum]

When you first show up  on course is it just the basic CF fitness test?
Run to level 6.5 on the beep test?

[combat_medic]

OK, well I‘m currently in WATC on the PLQ Mod 5 (PLQ = formerly the JLC/JNCO course). We‘re doing all this computer learning and I‘m bored out of my skull (don‘t tell my instructors that I‘m surfing the internet    ). Anyway, I must say that this entire PLQ system is a very VERY poor way of training leaders, in my humble opinion. Things that are totally unecessary at the JNCO level are hammered home for weeks, whereas vital, mission essential knowledge is barely passed over.

If there are any generals or other policy makers reading this post, please consider a re-vamp of the whole PLQ system.

If there are any people here who have completed the entire PLQ course, do you have any thoughts on it? Oh, and any info, tips or suggestions for Mod 6 would be great, as that‘s starting next week.

[MJP]

All I can say for revamping the PLQ is keep hammering it on the end week critiques.  All we did was pick it apart on every module and higlighted the flaws.  Make sure you have logical arguements for why it is bad and implementable solutions to fix it or else they tend to throw it back into your face.  

Plus since it is new(the first time reservists have done it full time in the summer IIRC) you‘ll have a lot of interest from the brigade CO‘s and RSM‘s.  Make sure you hammer it in to them that it pretty much sucks.  We had the Brigade RSM(2 CMBG) in on ours and we told him point blank about the flaws....especially MOD‘s 2 and 5!

[Pencil Tech]

Could somebody tell me what the difference between CF PLQ and army PLQ are, that is, with respect to the modules that I would need to do as land Log? Thanks for any info.

[Rider Pride]

I am not sure if there has been any changes...

The land PLQ uses army based senarios to test leadership. I did the first LFCA course run in Petawawa. We did patrols, section attackes and roles in the defence for assessments of leadership. Courses since have used strictly small party tasks based on common things army pers must do..ie, set up LZ, set up Mod tent, recover a vehicle, etc.

[ObedientiaZelum]

I heard from a guy who just finished his PLQ course this summer that they are changing around the course once again.

[MJP]

It has has changed recently, taking out most of the field time for CSS trades.  Now CSS do small party tasking and then shut 'er down.  AFAIK combat arms still do the complete Mod 6(with infantry types combining the DP2B with Mod 6 to become MCpl qualified).  At least this was the scheme of things roughly 5 months ago.....so who knows now.

[pbi]

This is interesting, if somewhat depressing. It appears we are still stuck in the "tradesman first, soldier second" mode even though all of recent military experience (especially the US in OIF) screams out that this is an obsolete and dangerous concept. In my personal opinion, we should be training soldiers as soldiers first, and giving them a technical skill second. After all, the baddies won't check your MOC first before they have a go at you, as the US found out to its surpise and embarrassment in OIF.

A few years ago I sat on an Infantry training board at which we LFCA types proposed a single "Army" recruit training program for the entire Army Reserve, regardless of MOC. In other words, train to be a soldier from the second you step on board. This was wrecked on the rocks of the insistence of LFDTS that the "CF purple" BMQ could not be tinkered with as it was a sacred item. Sacred relic, more like.

Anyway, that's my rant. Feel better now. Cheers.

[starlight_745]

I have heard that the content of PLQ mod 6 may be changing.  Does anyone know anything about mod 6 specifically for CSS?  I have completed all mods except mod 6 and am planning to take it this coming summer.

[CFN. Orange]

ill ask around

what in regards to css mod 6 are you specifically looking to know?

[starlight_745]

My understanding of mod 6 was that all trades attended the PLQ (Land) together.  I am being told that now mod 6 will be broken up into Infantry, other Cbt Arms and CSS for mod 6 (all other mods remain the same).  Specifically I am interested in how long the mod 6 is and what PO's are covered to prepare for it.  So dar I have been unable to get more info from anywhere else.

[CFN. Orange]

Ill double check when im in at work on wensday and see what I can find out for you

[Rider Pride]

IMHO, Mod 6 should be the same for all trades. Leadership is leadership, no matter what the job. If there is trade specific training reqd to enhance you leadership, then it should be a MOC problem....

I haven't heard anything new about the PLQ.

[combat_medic]

When I took my Mod 2 in 2003, they were already talking about changing it to CSS vs. Infantry only courses. When I took the Mod 6 that summer, I was told that it would be the last combined arms course. Six months later, I was told again that no more combined PLQs would be offered. Just this month, I was told that it was changing 'really soon'. And yet, still the combined arms courses are being offered, with no changes in sight. I'm getting the impression that it's all talk.