It’s a case of ‘Go Mear Máirseáil’ as Greg joins the army reserves
ONE of the latest recruits to the Army Reserve based in Wexford town has travelled a long way to do his soldiering.
Grzegorz ‘Greg’ Dabrowski, a 32 year old, from Kielce, in Poland has lived in Ireland for the past 10 years and said that joining the army reserve will enable him to achieve a lifelong ambition of being able to help others.
‘I wanted to do something and I have always been interested in this area and want to do something help me to help other people, then I saw the advertisement from the reserve forces. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to just go and try and I was successful,’ said Greg, a married man with a six-year-old daughter.
He said his military- and physical training didn’t pose any particular challenges, however, he had to learn to obey commands in Irish so that when he’s told to ‘right wheel’ or ‘quick march’, he knows how to respond.
‘Once you hear the commands in Irish often enough you get it,’ he told this newspaper.
Greg said some people might find the physical training difficult, but it proved no problem for him.
The first hurdle was to undergo the Defence Forces fitness test, consisting of sit-ups, press-ups and a timed run. Having successfully passed the fitness test, next came the Defence Forces medical examination, which ensures that potential soldiers are physically fit enough to be members of the Defence Forces.
Successfully passing the medical, an interview followed and finally, as with all potential applicants, Greg underwent Security Clearance by the Garda Siochana. Finally, with all these criteria fulfilled, Greg was formally sworn-in, or in military language ‘Attested’ as a member of the Irish Defence Forces.
Asked how his wife viewed his new military dimension to his life, Greg joked that ‘she really likes me in uniform’.
‘She is happy to know that sometimes I will need to take the time and do my duties and that could happen anytime, if there are things like floods and we need to help,’ said Greg, who works as a general operative at Killiane Engineering in Wexford.
Greg’s military training began at Wexford Barracks, and this training culminated in a number of weeks training at Kilworth Camp, County Cork. During these training periods, Greg was taught Foot Drill, Arms Drill, Fieldcraft, Weapons Training and other basic Military Skills.
During Full Time Training, Greg met trainee soldiers from all walks of life, and made many lasting friendships. Following training, Greg returned to E Company, 3 Battalion in Wexford as a trained soldier. E Company covers the County Wexford area.
Greg would encourage anyone with a sense of adventure to join the Army Reserve, and recruitment is open to both men and women between the ages of 18 and 35, who are physically fit and would be up for a challenge.
Wexford Army Barrack will be open to the Public on November 20, from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during which time visitors will be given historical guided tours of the barracks and shown military vehicles and weapons.
Those aged over 18 and less than 35 year will be able to apply to join the Army Reserve on the day. If interested you can apply either online at military.ie or visit Wexford Army Barracks on Wednesday nights between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. More information is available online at military.ie or by calling either Wexford Army Barracks on (053) 9174032 or Lt Brian Kavanagh 087 2704925.