# Qualification Parade once the course is done?



## krimynal (9 Jan 2015)

Pretty straight forward question.

I was wondering if once you completed the course in Borden there was a Parade? 

When I completed my DP1 for Gunner this summer , there was none.  Basically they told us , we became gunner on the field and that's where our parade would be ( which is where it actually was ).  So no family or anyone that wasn't remotely involved in our graduation were there. 

Is it the same thing for every trade ? or is it a combat arms specification ?


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## sarahsmom (10 Jan 2015)

I'm a med tech and we had grad parades for both my QL3 and QL5 courses, with invited guests and photographers.
MY SQ grad was pretty informal, so may be it is a combat arms thing?
Hubby was an MP and when he was at the academy he went to lots of grad parades.
It might help if you post your specific trade. A lot of trades do their courses in Borden.


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## Tibbson (10 Jan 2015)

MP wise, which is all I can draw from, we always had a big blowout parade for the QL3 grad where they received their MP credentials.  Family, parents, friends, VIPs...all sorts of people there.  QL5...not so much.  Normally it's just a gathering in one of the lounges, pass out the certificates and hit the road.  Next time I had any sort of parade (not that I couldn't care less by that time in my career and just wanted to pack and go home) was at the end of my JLC (now PLQ) and ILQ courses.  Wouldn't surprize me if infantry does it the way you describe.


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## Eye In The Sky (10 Jan 2015)

krimynal said:
			
		

> I was wondering if once you completed the course in Borden there was a Parade?



I'm assuming you are talking about a QL3 course at CFSATE?


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## krimynal (12 Jan 2015)

that may be the name of the class , unfortunately I am not 100% sure about them !

The class I am referring to , is the AWS Tech or AVS Tech class that you do in Borden once you are fully qualified as one or the other.


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Jan 2015)

It's normally called course vice class.  Those trades do their trg at CFSATE.  That's the name of the training establishment.


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## krimynal (12 Jan 2015)

okay good to know , I have a ton of reading to do about those trades , like I know some general info , but I still haven't figured out what are the QL3 , QL5 , etc.  

in the artillery we have DP1 which is the qualification course. DP2 is usually the master bombardier class.

different names , but I'm not sure what exactly compares to the other.  People are talking about QL5 as the Spec pay one. I tried to read over here what exactly QL5 was , haven't really figured it out yet.  Still trying to find out !


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## stealthylizard (12 Jan 2015)

QL - Qualification level.  Same thing as DP.


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## krimynal (12 Jan 2015)

so QL5 would be some kind of DP5 .... knowing that DP3 is basically master bombardier class .... you are only QL5 once you are sergeant ??? ( I am totally lost here , sorry ! )


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## LightFighter (12 Jan 2015)

No, a QL5 course is not DP5.

QL3 = DP1
QL4/QL5 = DP2 (DP2 includes trade courses, as well as PLQ)
QL6 = DP3 (This includes courses to be a Sgt and WO)

As well, I don't know about all the other Combat Arms, but in the Infantry our DP1 courses have a graduation parade.



> 3 Canadian Division Training Centre (3CDTC) graduates candidates of Developmental Period 1 – Infantryman Serial 0159 (DP1 INF 0159) at Tommy Prince Drill Hall, Garrison Wainwright AB on 11 December 2014.Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol) Tod Strickland, Deputy Commanding Officer (DCO) of Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) was the reviewing officer of the parade. Chief Warrant Officer (ret.) Vladamir Komadina was the ‘Old Guard’ during the ceremony
> DP1 INF is the baseline infantry trade course for Non-Commissioned members and qualifies them to be a member of the regular force infantry. These professional soldiers will be posted to their first Regimental Tour particularly to 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI) in Shilo, Manitoba.


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.876429225724189.1073741910.447794265254356&type=3


Reserve DP1 courses also have a graduation parade, it may vary by location regarding how it is done.


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## TCM621 (12 Jan 2015)

DP stands for development phase. The army uses DP1 as their new name for what everyone else calls QL3. DP1 actually is the phase from enrolment to being trade qualified. QL stands for qualification level.  Ql3 is trade qualified QL 4 is normally OJT and QL5 is your journeyman qualification.  QL5 is part of your DP2. DPs are phases not courses. In the artillery, you have different course at the QL 4 level such as recce tech, CP  tech, etc and no real QL5. PLQ is the requirement for master bombardier and that is part of DP2. Dp3 includes things like QL 6 and ILQ .


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## krimynal (12 Jan 2015)

okay got it ! so technically speaking , once you get qualified Corporal , you can start to attend QL4 and QL5 without the need to be Master-Corporal ?


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Jan 2015)

No.  You will likely do your trg up to QL5 before you are promoted or shortly after.


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## krimynal (12 Jan 2015)

and technically speaking if all the stars are in a straight line and world peace come to a reality ( you can see how optimistic I am ) how long could that take? 

I mean in the reserve you get Corporal 2 years after you signed in.  Master-Corporal could be anything to 1 year or 2 afterwards ! ( I've heard people doing it 6 months after but that is exception ).

In the Regular would be closer to like 4-5 years ?? I know that even if it's been close to 2 years that I will be in the army the day that I'll transfer , I will most likely not get promoted to corporal before something around 2 years.


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## Eye In The Sky (12 Jan 2015)

Regular Force:

- 48 months for promotion to Cpl.  Some people get accelerated promoted but its not a given.  Plan on 48 months.
- spec pay, to get this you must have completed QL5 course AND be a Cpl.

Appointment to MCpl...who knows.  So many variables involved but, as a minimum, you are supposed to have 2 years seniority as a Cpl.  Details for Reg force NCM promotion can be found in CFA0 49-4.

Your reserve time of 2 years since enrolment won't likely translate to 2 years PFTS (Previous Full Time Service) in the Reg force.  It will work out to basically, day for day for Class B service over 30 days continuous and 1/4 time for all Class A service.

Being that you aren't going a straight CT to your current trade, you will basically be starting off at the same point as the people on course with you that just completed BMQ.   :2c:


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## krimynal (12 Jan 2015)

alright thanks for the clarification , so technically I wont be QL5 / spec pay until , at least 4 years starting now , If I switch to reg forces this summer , knowing I joined the army back in September 2013.

Haven't been able to go on a B class assignment , I kept asking for one but they didn't have any available ...


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## krimynal (13 Jan 2015)

I've read somewhere that people who apply for AWS and AVS tech still need to do SQ ( don't know if it's true or not ).  Since mine is already done but mine was a short one ( only took 2 weeks and a half instead of the regular 4 weeks ).  Now they qualified me on the thing I was missing back at my local unit. 

Will I have to do it all over again ? or I will skip this part also ?


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## Eye In The Sky (13 Jan 2015)

krimynal said:
			
		

> alright thanks for the clarification , so technically I wont be QL5 / spec pay until , at least 4 years starting now , If I switch to reg forces this summer , knowing I joined the army back in September 2013.



No, you will get credited Previous Fulltime Paid Service calculated.  You will receive Time Credit for Promotion from this as well.  However, it won't be (and shouldn't be when you think of it) "day for day".  Sure, you were 'in the army' since Sept 2013, but how much of that time was actually spent in uniform on paid service?  That is why they credit 1/4 time for class A time and day-for-day for Class B.  If you have no Cl B time at all, a rough guess is you will be credited about 4 months previous service.  Based on that, you would need 44 months before Cpls.

Once you have your QL5 and are a Cpl, you will be able to receive Spec Pay.


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## krimynal (13 Jan 2015)

thanks for the clarification !


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## shogun506 (9 Feb 2015)

To get back to your original question, when I was a reservist infantryman we had a large parade with friends and family in Meaford upon graduation from DP1 so it's not a combat arms thing to not have one. That was in 2007, dunno if it's different now or your course was just time compressed.


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