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Q: Where is the Instructor Guide for TCO/PQS?
A: There is no Instructor Guide for TCO/PQS as this qualification is driven by tasks and mentoring is the most effective method to teach tasks. There is however an extensive Mentoring Guide that describes the role of the mentor and the candidate.
Q: How many TCO/PQS candidates may a mentor work with.
A: A mentor may work with more than one candidate at a time and a candidate may have one or more mentors over time.
Q: WHEN CAN THE “ASSIGNMENT TO A TRAINING PROGRAM” OR THE ACTUAL COMPLETION OF THE TCO PQS BE RECORDED IN AUXDATA?
A: AUXDATA IS NOW CONFIGURED TO RECORD BOTH THE TASKING OF A MEMBER TO THE TRAINING AND MENTORING EFFORT FOR THE PQS AND TO RECORD THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PQS THROUGH CERTIFICATION BY A DISTRICT DIRAUX.
Q: WHO ENTERS EITHER THIS TASK OR QUALIFICATION INTO AUXDATA?
A: THEY ARE ENTERED BY EACH INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT’S DIRAUX.
Q: THE PQS DOCUMENT REFERS TO “GRANDFATHERING” FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE AUXCOM TEST ON OR BEFORE 31JUL08. DOES THAT MEAN THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS PASSED THE AUXCOM TEST WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ENTERED INTO AUXDATA AS “TCO QUALIFIED”?
A: NO. IN THE CASE OF THIS PQS, “GRANDFATHERING” REFERS ONLY TO THE AUTHORIZATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO ACT AS THE OWNER OR OPERATOR OF AN AUXILIARY RADIO UNIT. IN ORDER TO BE IDENTIFIED AS BEING TCO QUALIFIED, ALL MEMBERS MUST COMPLETE THE PQS.
Q: ONE OF MY CM (COMMUNICATIONS) STAFF MEMBERS HAS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND HOLDS BOTH A HAM LICENSE AND AN FCC COMMERCIAL LICENSE. CAN HE OBTAIN A WAIVER OF THE PQS AND THEREBY BE CERTIFIED AS TCO QUALIFIED?
A: NO. THE ONLY PATH TO ACHIEVE TCO QUALIFICATION IS BY PASSING THE PQS AND BEING CERTIFIED BY DIRAUX. THIS PATH IS EXACTLY PARALLEL TO BOTH THE BOAT CREW QUALIFICATION AND THE AIR CREW QUALIFICATION. FOR SOMEONE WITH THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE YOU DESCRIBE, THE PROCESS OF QUALIFYING SHOULD BE EASY AND QUICK.
Q: IN MY FLOTILLA, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS WHO ARE QUALIFIED “WATCHSTANDERS” AT A CG SMALL BOAT STATION. WILL THEY BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A WAIVER OF THE PQS AND BE CERTIFIED AS TCO QUALIFIED?
A: NO. THE ANSWER IS BASED ON THE STATEMENT IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION # 5, ABOVE. THE RATIONALE HAS TWO PARTS – FIRST, NOT EVERY AUXILIARIST CURRENTLY CERTIFIED AS A “WATCHSTANDER” HAS NECESSARILY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE FULL CG M16120.7A TRAINING . THE SECOND IS THAT THE TCO PQS INCLUDES MATERIAL THAT IS NOT IN THE CG’S “WATCHSTANDER QUALIFICATION GUIDE”.
Q: IS THERE A “STUDY GUIDE” OR AN “INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE” AVAILABLE FOR THE TCO PQS?
A: CURRENTLY THE TRAINING MATERIAL IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT. THE REFERENCE DOCUMENTS LISTED IN THE FRONT OF THE PQS SHOULD PROVIDE THE GUIDANCE REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE TASKS LISTED IN THE PQS. BECAUSE THE PQS COMES INTO EFFECT AS OF 01AUG08, THERE HAS NOT BEEN TIME TO COMPILE THESE DOCUMENTS INTO ONE GUIDE; HOWEVER THEY ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON LINE. SEVERAL AUX DISTRICTS ARE CURRENTLY CONFIGURING THE DOCUMENTS AND A SYLLABUS FOR TRAINING SESSIONS TO ASSIST MEMBERS IN COMPLETING THE PQS. AS WE PROGRESS, INFORMATION WILL BE GATHERED FROM THE FIELD AS TO WHAT WORKS BEST AND THEN WILL BE USED TO CREATE THE STUDY GUIDE AND INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE.
Q: WHEN WILL THE DSO-CM’S HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR TRAINING?
A: THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION HAS BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND THE NTRAIN JANUARY 2009 CONFERENCE IN ST. LOUIS. A MAJOR PART OF THE WORK TO BE COMPLETED IN THE TWO AND ½ DAYS OF TRAINING WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE PQS.
Q: I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE TRAINEE AND THE “MENTOR”, BUT I AM UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHO CAN ACT AS THE “QUALIFIED CM STAFF OFFICER” WHO SIGNS OFF BEFORE THE TRAINEE SUBMITS THEIR PAPERWORK TO THE DSO-CM
A: AS OF RIGHT NOW, ANY CURRENT CM STAFF OFFICER (FLOTILLA, DIVISION OR DISTRICT) OR ANY NATIONAL OT (TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION) STAFF MEMBER, WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE AUXCOM EXAM OR IS TCO QUALIFIED, CAN SIGN OFF BEFORE SUBMISSION TO THE DSO-CM. AS TIME GOES ON, AND MORE MEMBERS ARE QUALIFIED AS TCO, WE ENCOURAGE THE DISTRICTS TO USE THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS THE “SIGN OFF”.
Q: What is the SHARES program all about?
A: In March of 2007, the Auxiliary National Executive Committee (NEXCOM) and the Office of the Chief Director of the Auxiliary (CG-3PCX) approved participation by CGAUX HF Stations in SHARES (SHAred RESources) which is a part of the National Communications System. For further information click on this link for the announcement memo