Advice and guidance with reserves
I’m 19 and hopefully starting Marine Engineering in Cork this year. I’m thinking of joining the Reserve once I get settled into college, probably either the Engineer Corps or Medical Corps. The Engineers appeal to me because I’m into practical and engineering stuff, but the Medical Corps also interests me because learning proper first aid and medical skills would be really useful.
I’m mainly wondering what the training is actually like when you first join, how manageable it is alongside college and a part-time job, and whether you get much field training, shooting, navigation and exercises. I’d also like to know what Engineer and Medical Corps reservists actually do week to week, how the summer training works, and what sort of fitness level you’re expected to have going in.
Would be interested to hear from anyone currently in the Reserve, especially anyone who joined while in college.