Master driver course coming to more locations, says school sergeant major

Photo By Terrance Bell | Sgt. Maj. Darryl O. Dotson Jr., Trans. School SGM, recently announced the expansion of the Master Driver Trainer Qualification Course beyond Fort Lee. A Santa Fe reserve component site is scheduled to host its first class, a virtual offering, May 23, and eventually train 200 Soldiers on a yearly basis. A site at Fort Knox, Ky., is also planned under the expansion.  

UNITED STATES

04.01.2021

Story by Terrance Bell  

Fort Gregg-Adams

FORT LEE, Va. (March 29, 2021) – The Army Transportation School at the Sustainment Center of Excellence will soon increase the availability of its Master Driver Trainer Qualification Course.

The two-week, three-day block of instruction, which awards the M9 additional skill identifier, will expand to additional locations beyond Fort Lee in the near future, said Trans. School Sgt. Maj. Darryl O. Dotson Jr.

“We’ve already certified and credentialed instructors in New Mexico, and we’re about to broaden our efforts with additional satellite sites that will eventually include Fort Knox, Ky.,” Dotson said. “The intent is to set up at least one site in each region of the country.”

The move will bring cost savings along with convenience, Dotson further noted.

“Soldiers will now be able to train at locations closer to home stations versus having to come here for the course,” he elaborated. “Those additional sites will give us more flexibility as well as bang for the buck.”

The Trans. School at Fort Lee will continue to host the training as the East Coast location, Dotson confirmed.

The Santa Fe training site, based at a National Guard Regional Training Institute location, is scheduled to conduct its first MDTQC class virtually beginning May 23, said Jeffrey Skinner, chief of the Army Driver Standardization Office, which administers the course.

“Once COVID 19 protocols are terminated, the site will eventually accommodate 10 classes and roughly 200 students on an annual basis,” he said.

The expansion, which requires Training and Doctrine Command approval, could take up to three years to fully implement, Skinner added.
“We’re hoping we can streamline the process and go a little faster,” he said.

Available to Soldiers holding any military occupational specialty, the MDTQC primarily teaches noncommissioned officers how to advise commanders and units in developing and operating driver training programs. Subjects include proper licensing, organizing and conducting convoy operations, risk management, accident avoidance and vehicle recovery.

Students also learn how to write standard operating procedures and conduct accident investigations.

MDTQC had its beginnings in 2013 and initially trained only 72 Soldiers during its first few years, according to the PM Magazine website. In 2014, the course rolled out a mobile training program, which allowed trainers to focus more on unit-specific equipment and local conditions. Today, MDTQC graduates roughly 620 students yearly, according to Skinner.

Army organizations that have questions or want to learn more about the Master Driver Trainer Qualification Course can contact the ADSO at [phone].

• Date Taken: 04.01.2021
• Date Posted: 04.01.2021 12:04
• Story ID: 392839
• Location: US