Communication Field as a Reservist

Heroes Remember

Communication Field as a Reservist

Transcript

I linked up with my cousin who was in Charlottetown here through a reserve unit. I joined a communications regiment so that involved a lot of part time and full time work through like full time contracts and then part time while I was going to university so I guess I kind of followed his path into the regiment here in Charlottetown and went from there. Initially you kind of work up from basic training to your trades training but communications work is a lot “off the hop.” We trained to come in with a one and a half ton truck and set up communications in an area and varying levels of complication with that like some very simple over the radio and then progressing up to satellite communications. I think it’s pretty typical of the reserve dynamic as if you’re in a unit pretty much all of the full time training is conducted away or full time work is conducted away unless you are part of the core of that unit. So it was a lot. I’d go to university throughout the year and I’d work whenever I was off university I would work at the unit and in the summer I would contract out and go to Kingston, Ontario to complete basic training and then trades training from there. In some aspects it can be very similar like some people I know they go in the reserves and they work full time and that’s, they’re pretty similar and right to the opposite end of the spectrum there’s people that go into the reserves and they work very little, they go in there Thursday night sometimes on weekends so there’s the whole spectrum there. For me I was either university or working in the military and back and forth. It was a good marriage for me while I was going to university to have that time filled and to have a really good job and learn a lot of skills.

Description

Mr. Lord speaks about his opportunity to join the reserves and discusses his training.

Justin Lord

Mr. Justin Lord was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island July 10, 1980. As a teenager he and his family moved to the town of Souris. Before attending university, Mr. Lord made the decision to join the Reserves. With encouragement from his cousin, he joined the 721 Communications regiment as a reservist and worked weekends while attending school. Mr. Lord completed basic training in Kingston, Ontario and experienced varied opportunities with the military. At age 23, he was given the opportunity to join the Royal 22nd Regiment Operation Athena Roto 1 with the regular force deploying to Afghanistan for a six month term in the Communication field holding rank of corporal. Returning home, Mr. Lord continued on as a reservist but his career path took a turn and in 2007 he sought employment with the Federal Government and now resides in Prince Edward Island with his family.

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