Primary Leadership Qualification Course (PLQ) Mega thread

[ltmaverick25]

You wont do much in the field until MOD 6.  Mods 1-5 are much more garrison oriented.  You will learn things like military law and more general service knowledge, you will learn M of I, so how to teach lessons the military way.  You will also have a range weekend which is not very challenging at all.  You are basically learning to lead in a non field environment.

MOD 6 is where it gets both easier and harder.  Its easier in the sence that it will be run by the reg force leadership school.  My personal experience and opinion is that the staff tends to be a bit more professional then the reserve instructers are on the weekend MODs.  It is also harder in that the POs are no joke and much harder.  When you get to MOD 6 you want to make sure that you have your map and compass down solid.  Navigation will be key, the rest will be learned on the fly, but you are expected to have a solid grasp of navigation before ariving.

Otherwise just keep your nose out of trouble and do whats expected of you and you will be fine.  Its challenging, but its also acheivable, even for guys with less experience.

 

[CorporalMajor]

MOD 6 is where it gets both easier and harder.  Its easier in the sence that it will be run by the reg force leadership school.  My personal experience and opinion is that the staff tends to be a bit more professional then the reserve instructers are on the weekend MODs.

I don't really understand how that makes it easier.  ???

Do you mean they (Leadership Coy) are better instructors than the Res guys, as in the Regs don't defecate all over you for nothing, and can drive a lesson home better?  My MOD 6 will likely be at Leadership Coy in Petawawa, and as you know it is mainly reg force RCR/RCD types.  In terms of "hardcoreness", that gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect.

I know that 2CER were WAY better instructors on BMQ than some of the people I was under in Meaford for SQ (largely reservists, some good, most of them weren't that good)..  I hope this is once again the case for PLQ.  The only difference is, I might be sent anywhere for 1-5 (a full time month-long course - not that weekend BS) since those are apparently CF common.  So hopefully I will be sent somewhere that is well staffed, but then that isn't my choice......

It is also harder in that the POs are no joke and much harder.  When you get to MOD 6 you want to make sure that you have your map and compass down solid.  Navigation will be key, the rest will be learned on the fly, but you are expected to have a solid grasp of navigation before ariving.

Otherwise just keep your nose out of trouble and do whats expected of you and you will be fine.  Its challenging, but its also acheivable, even for guys with less experience.

Figures abut the Nav part.  I'm OK with NAV, the declination part pisses me off though.

How are they difficult?  More academic?  More physical?  Or do they put you in difficult situations all the time? Unending ruckmarches?

I don't think I would have problems passing any of it, in light of the complete retards I have seen getting through  : .  I may not be very experienced, but I am decently fit, reasonably intelligent, have initiative, et al.  Difficulty is only a measure of character in the end, and I expect it to be tough.  I mean, it's the military, right? And leadership isn't an easy task.

As always I am all ears to any advice that will make me a better student.

 

[ltmaverick25]

The reason its easier is because of the professionalism.  As you so ably put it, in my personal opinion the reg force instructors are less likely to degrade you just for the sake of it.  They dont have anything to prove, this is their full time job and they got over themselves a long time ago.  I did my MOD 6 in Pet and I was for the most part always impressed with the way the staff conducted themselves.  For me, being 30 at the time, it was easier because we werent blatently treated like 2 year olds.

As for whats hard about it, it really depends on you and your skills.  Aside from the mental stress, and me never being in good enough shape, I found MOD 6 to be fairly easy in terms of being able to pass the tests.  The written tests I thought were extremely easy, though others did struggle with them.  I found the patrol to be the hardest part for me, though others did very well.  Section attacks and routine in the defensive were gravy for me.

Everyone is different and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.  Patrols were not my strength at all, but I managed to make it through.

It would appear that you have a fairly decent grasp of what to expect at this point.  I wouldnt do too much worrying about it.  Just make sure that you are in excellent physical shape, and mentally prepare yourself for a bag drive again.  If you can overcome the physical and mental side, you can pass any PC check the PLQ will throw at you.

 

[CorporalMajor]

The reason its easier is because of the professionalism.  As you so ably put it, in my personal opinion the reg force instructors are less likely to degrade you just for the sake of it.  They dont have anything to prove, this is their full time job and they got over themselves a long time ago.  I did my MOD 6 in Pet and I was for the most part always impressed with the way the staff conducted themselves.  For me, being 30 at the time, it was easier because we werent blatently treated like 2 year olds.

Good..  The jacking up for nothing kind of leadership is the last thing I need.  This isn't what everyone I spoke to thought about that place, but I figure as long as I behave myself I shouldn't worry about being shat on.

Academically, I'm almost done college so I don't think it's much to worry about there.......

Cheers. 

 

[Kat Stevens]

You WILL get dumped on for no apparent reason in the field phase.  There IS a reason for it; the field is where the rubber meets the road, and they need to pile on the pressure to see how you react, including getting a shitstorm in your face.  Learn the game early, and play it well.

 

[ltmaverick25]

Thats debatable.  Crapping on people for the sake of it in the field does not provide any value at all.  All it does is produce NCOs that think they need to crap on people as a matter of course.

When I did MOD 6 the only times we got crapped on in the field was when it was well deserved.  It would usually be as a group for not keeping the hootchie area in good repair, or lapsing on cam and concealment ect...

If ever an individual needed to be crapped on they were pulled off to the side.  No screaming and yelling.  It was simply, calmly explained what they did wrong, why it was wrong, and what they needed to do to fix it, and the consequences of not taking corrective action.  It worked quite well.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Different people have different personalities and experiences, so different Ldrship instr's will have different leadership styles.

You don't have to scream and yell on a PLQ course at your candidates to put pressure on them...tight timings seem to do that very well. 

However, I agree with the statement by Kat that there is a time and place and requirement for stressing candidates on course, especially PLQ.  Having been on the receiving and giving end of it, I have seen it used as a valuable tool in any instr's toolbelt.  The problem is young, or inexperienced/green, *insert reason here* staff always using the hammer to fix a problem.  And equally so (and opposite) are the ones that just don't ever use the hammer when warranted; they create issues as well.

Regardless, it is my opinion that one instructor will always be labelled the 'hardass/jackass/screamer'...and usually by the people who are on the receiving end of usually deserved beratings.

 

[CorporalMajor]

So they want to make it a stress game. That is expected. The difference is that even though it IS difficulty for the sake of itself, as explained, it does have a purpose, to see how you do under stress.

But other than that - IMO if you don't have a defensible reason to shout at some one, you shouldn't have your mouth open in the first place. Thankfully for those that like the sound of their own voice, there will always be a mistake made like nodding off in class or some mouthy individual that will get the course marking time, no matter what.  As well, everyone knows it's a game.

When I did MOD 6 the only times we got crapped on in the field was when it was well deserved.  It would usually be as a group for not keeping the hootchie area in good repair, or lapsing on cam and concealment ect...

If ever an individual needed to be crapped on they were pulled off to the side.  No screaming and yelling.  It was simply, calmly explained what they did wrong, why it was wrong, and what they needed to do to fix it, and the consequences of not taking corrective action.  It worked quite well.

Exactly... that's professionalism.  You don't need to bark all the time to persuade someone.. and if the person on the receiving end is smart, he or she will do as told or see his way to the door.  I mean no good leader depends on that one mechanism alone (though for some situations, it gets results fast).

 

[Fide et Fortitudine]

I agree with everything said so far.

I have heard from guys who do their Mod 6 (I'm doing mine in the summer) that the reg force instructors use more self induced stressors. So instead of screaming and bitching at you, they tell you you have some ridiculous timing and see how you work.

On the other hand I have seen the pitfalls of reserve instructors and their use of stress. On my MOD 1-5 there was a sergeant who was screaming at one guy for five minutes due to not having juice to drink.

But saying both these things, they are simply generalizations: I have had reserve instructors who give you proper respect and decide that it is better to learn than sit and bitch. As well, I am sure there are bad apples in the reg force too.

So expect the worst and work your best I guess

 

[CorporalMajor]

Well.  Looks like I'm going for 1 thru 5 at sunny Meaford.

Now I wonder who's staffing this one.    Mabye Sgt Big Bird.  :camo:

At least I will know what to expect in terms of material.

 

[Biggoals2bdone]

So read through the whole thread, just wondering what the news is on this, still have the 3 or 4 different standards...or what?

And what would be the difference for Navy pers vs AF vs Army?
sorry to ask its just confusing reading the army stuff since you're reserve and reg system and standards are so different

 

[Nfld Sapper]

AFAIK MODS 1-5 are common to all branches, the difference starts with MOD 6.

All PLQ's are REG/PRES, same TP and content.

 

[Biggoals2bdone]

Just wanted clarification since the militia run on different systems then NavRes and Air Reserves.

Classic example is BMQ militia = 4 weeks, NavRes/Air Reserves BMQ = same as reg force, same case with QL1/QL3 courses, the militia seems to have all their courses based on 4 weeks schedules.

If anyone can enlighten me as to the Militia's current training regime, everything still on 4 week courses?
if so why the different standard?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Negative most courses are 6 (some are more) weeks long.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

Just wanted clarification since the militia run on different systems then NavRes and Air Reserves.

Classic example is BMQ militia = 4 weeks, NavRes/Air Reserves BMQ = same as reg force, same case with QL1/QL3 courses, the militia seems to have all their courses based on 4 weeks schedules.

If anyone can enlighten me as to the Militia's current training regime, everything still on 4 week courses?
if so why the different standard?

Just to reiterate, for the Army, the PLQ-Land is the same course whether the candidate is Regular or Reserve. Module 6 of PLQ-Land is some 29 training days (six weeks) that is taken at one of the training centres.

The other courses for Army reservists vary in length. Some are indeed four weeks while others are longer. The Qualification Standard (QS) for each course will identify which elements of the course are essential for Reserves to take and which ones can be taken at a later time. For example, a Reserve Crewman does not learn Coyote driving on his DP1 Armoured Recce Crewman because he won't drive a Coyote in his normal duties,nor does he learn Coyote Surveillance Operator. If he deploys with a Regular Force regiment, however, there is scope for him to take a Coyote driving course (train to need). The Reserve crewman still takes many other subject areas from the DP 1 course in common with his Regular Force counter-parts. Other branches follow similar patterns.

The Navy, Airforce and Army have different course lengths for their reserves because they are in different situations. The Army has a much larger scale of training.

Unless you are a Force Employer I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[CountDC]

The militia also decided a long time ago that it would depend more on OJT at the units rather than lean heavily on formal courses - thus the shorter courses.  Of course this created the problem for awhile where for example a navres clerk could CT and maintain their QLs while a militia clerks QLs were not recognized.

Now to PLQs.  Currently a lot of acting lacking masters are created - used to be the reason given was that there was not enough leadership courses run to keep up with the demand and they didn't want to hold back people because of the system.  Seemed good in the past but now.  I am in a position where I see a lot of information and from that I have to wonder if the acting lacking master is such a good idea.  I see a lot of them that are unable to pass the PLQ and dropped back to LS/Cpl after wearing the leaf as long as 5 years.  I am now thinking that perhaps they should stop the actings and have completion of PLQ mandatory.

 

[Biggoals2bdone]

So with all that being said, why are the reserves so separate and distinct almost to the point of being their own branches, as opposed to the Reg force where you don't that.

Has there ever been talk of making all reserves standards the same?

 

[ARMY_101]

Reserves are part-time and there to conduct training less frequently than those who are on full time taskings.  It doesn't seem realistic to make them go through the same standard and length of training when they only (usually) work part time.

 

[dapaterson]

Reg F is the biggest offender for Acting lacking, as Reserve promotion policy explicitly states that you can't be lacking a leadership qualification.

For the clerks: the majority of Reserve clerks in the Army will not perform the tasks taught on the Reg F course and not on the Res course.  Therefore, why train them in those skills?  Train-to-need is the name of that philosophy.

 

[George Wallace]

Reserves are part-time and there to conduct training less frequently than those who are on full time taskings.  It doesn't seem realistic to make them go through the same standard and length of training when they only (usually) work part time.

Wroooooong!