The Civil Air Patrol

Purpose

The purpose of this page is to publish the policy concerning the proper training, evaluation, validation, and approval requirements by qualified individuals for Speciality Qualification Training Records (SQTR's). Correct execution of this policy ultimately supports rapid validation at the Group Commander level. To help you understand what, who, and when items are to be signed on the SQTR and entered into MIMS the following example of a color-coded and annotated MO SQTR is provided.

Background

An individual's Operational Qualifications (Ops Quals) are specialities within the Emergency Services circulum. Each describes a specialized skill in which the individual becomes proficient to conduct the task, as an individual or a team.

Accrediation and Record Keeping

At time of writing, there are two records kept as Ops Quals training is conducted. One is paper and the other is electronic. The paper record is called a Speciality Qualification Record (SQTR). The SQTR paper record trumps the electronic record which resides in the member's E-Services pages. The paper record goes into the member's files when complete and provides a premanent written record of what, when, and who evaluated the individual. This process has some complications at times but if one consistently follows a few basic rules this will avoid most problems. Approvals will be held and/or rejected when critical errors exist in the submissions.

Validation

Everyone likes a quick validation soon after making the electronic record available to the chain of command for validation. Doing this process correctly makes validation easy for your Unit Commader, Group Commander, and Wing Licensing Officer (in that order). Otherwise, the request for valiation is coming back to you with an explanation. The expectations of how to conduct and submit a correctly constructed SQTR record for validation are described in the following:.

Take a SQTR, any SQTR. They are all basically the same with sequential permission, previous training credit, actual training, evaluation, validation, and approval requirements by qualified individuals.

Cross-pollenization of Identical Tasks on Different SQTR's

All SQTR's have common tasks on each (i.e. P-0101 Keeping a Log).

• Cross-pollenization of training credit on the paper SQTR must come from the original paper SQTR in use when the task was originally validated. Credit for earlier training can only be transferred to another paper SQTR by a recognized VA Wing Evaluator with appropriate reference.

• The trainee does not have to repeat the task validation unless the original validation is more than two years earlier. This explains why the trainee should never discard a completed SQTR. There is no proof of credit for training if you dispose of the SQTR or somehow the electronic records are lost.

• On the electronic submission for validation in Qps Quals of E-Services, cross-pollenization automatically occurs between the SQTR's with identical task requirements. For example credit for Keeping a Log (P-0101) as a Mission Observer automatically populates the same task validation on the qualification record for Ground Team.

Initial and Subsequent Responsibility for Validation

• The Unit Commander is the first point of validation. The member must produce the original paper SQTR for the Unit Commander's examination to approve the first level of electronic validation on Ops Quals of E-Services.

• The Group Commander is the second level of validation. A proof-read is done at this level and a request to produce paper documentation may be requested.

• The Wing Emergency Services Licensing Officer performs the final validation which may also include a request for supporting paper documentation after which, the Speciality Qualification will appear on the member's 101 card.

Lets start with the paper SQTR and describe how training and validations are conducted. The first step is to print the appropriate SQTR.

• The [Last, First, MI] block, [CAPID] block, and [Date Issued] block are self explanatory. Put dates in by military protocol, meaning 1-Dec-08. You have two years from the Date Issued to complete your training. Tasks validated that are more than two years old are not counted and must be re-evaluated.

  There are exeptions to this date-later than Prerequisites or Advanced Tasking rule in the form of:

  • General Emergency Services (GES) also known as CAPT-116 which, once completed has no expiration date unless CAP NHQ declares otherwise (this was done when CAPT 116 was updated in 2004).

  • Continuing education CAPT 117 (parts 1, 2, or 3) as appropriate (think "GAS" or part 1 as ground ops, part 2 as air ops, and part 3 as mission base staff. All three parts are considerably similar, so it is simply much easier to take all three parts at the same time and have credit for all three done).

  • The Radio Operator's Authorization (ROA) course.

  • Identical tasks (i.e. P-0101, Keeping a Log) already earned that are imported from other paper SQTR records that do not exceed 2 years earlier than the final signoff of the current SQTR record. This is referred to as "cross-pollenization" of training requirement credit.

  • Other Operations Qualifications (such as Mission Pilot or Mission Observer). The qualification need not be current (i.e., AOBD has MP and/or MO as requirement, but does not have to be current).

  Dates on those training items may proceed the date of the Prerequisites signoff. The trainee will provide the Evaluator with the sourcing paper SQTR to prove training was properly evaluated.

• Qualified GES - This date must be the same as the date one took the CAPT 116 (GES) as defined in the Ops Quals Validation Tool. Any other date reported on the SQTR or electronic submission for validation means the training date was not verified and is not a proper representation.

• Other prerequisites. These date(s) must accurately represent the day one became qualified or finished the described training.

  The description under the [Prequisites Signature Block] is labeled [Unit/Wing/Region Commander or Authorized Designee's Signature]. The signature can only be made by the member's immediate supervisor in the chain of command.

  • The Unit Commander signs for the Unit Member.
  • The Group Commander signs for a Group Staff member.
  • The Wing Chief of Staff signs for a Wing Staff member.
  • The Wing Commander signs for the Wing Chief of Staff and Group Commanders.

• Validation dates on Prerequisites tasks must be earlier than evaluation dates shown on subsequent Familiarization and Preparatory or Advanced Training unless cross-pollenization of training credit for identical tasks is utilized.

• From this point forward, the only acceptable validation signature is provided by a current recognized VA Wing Evaluator of that Specialty Qualification.

  Once the Prerequisites block is fully completed with the immediate supervisor's signature and date, the trainee has permission to proceed with -

  Familiarization and Preparatory Training

• Familiarization and Preparatory Training (F&P) occurs in the classroom or a suitable training site. A trainee is not ready to participate in an actual funded mission until all F&P training has been taught by a recognized VA Wing Evaluator or "trusted trainer" and properly validated only by a recognized VA Wing Evaluator in that Specialty.

  There is a key distinction to be made between a "trusted trainer" and a recognized VA Wing Evaluator.

  • A "trusted trainer" may evaluate a trainee only by prior agreement with that same Evaluator before training occurs.

  • The "trusted trainer" is only to initial credit for demonstrating proficiency in a task. The Evaluator must still validate the training record with their original name and CAPID in the validation block.

  • The Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty will not validate records of trainees sight unseen., If the trainee never saw the Evaluator in person the "trusted trainer" process is discredited.

  When all Familiarization and Preparatory training is complete the trainee is elligible to participate in Advanced Training tasks in terms of supervised mission participation (simulated or actual).

  Advanced Training

• Advanced Training is conducted under approved mission numbers. These can either be the mission numbers issued through WMIRS (federally funded) or can be a Wing issued mission number requested from, and approved by the Group Commander (member funded).

• The same validation process applies all the way through the Advanced Training process. A "trusted trainer" may only initial each task. Subsequently, only a Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty will validate records of trainees.
  Exercise Participation

• The mission numbers shall be used as proof of participation in the section subsequent to the Advanced Training section. The same mission number can be used for both, but the sortie must be different with different objectives. Proof of participation does not indicate satisfactory participation and that is left up to the Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty. The qualification is made that you must be under the direct supervison of a Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty.

• The [QUALIFIED SUPERVISOR'S SIGNATURE] will only be signed by the direct supervising Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty. It has been observed the signatures of Evaluators are often illegible, and so a CAPID beside the signature is encouraged to properly identify the applicable Evaluator and reduces delays in final validation.

• Two missions are the minimum required experience level before members are signed off as qualified. If the member shows weakness in critical areas then two missions may not be enough experience. The Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty will make the decision. You as a participant should be properly perpared to make sure this is an easy decision for the Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty.

• The endorsement for final approval on the SQTR is only made by a Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty. In the VAWG the underlying label [UNIT/WING/REGION COMMANDER] portion of the label does not apply. The portion [OR AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE'S SIGNATURE] does apply, and that means the final endorsement is only made by a Wing Recognized Evaluator in that specialty.

• Once the SQTR is fully completed it is time to enter all the data into MIMS for validation by the chain of command. Dates on the SQTR and MIMS must be in agreement. The SQTR should be scanned as a PDF and sent to each step in the validation chain of command for verification. One should never discard a completed SQTR. If your records are lost, you go to another Wing, etc., your SQTRs and mission records will be the only method you have of detailed documentation of your experience.

• If, at any time a member does not (1) display a knowledge of skills (2) remain in conformance to all CAP policy, or (3) refuses to follow the direction of an IC the member may be removed from participating in the mission by direction of the IC or higher authority. Participation in emergency services missions is no different that standard membership. It is a privlidge, not a right.

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  Group 2 Web Page Operations:

  Responsible CAP Official: James E. Byrd Capt, CAP

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