AN Army Reserve Lance Corporal is doing his bit to encourage others to sign up.

Tranent’s Marc Carr, a member of 51 Signals Squadron, based in the Capital, is part of a team responsible for explaining the roles of the regular army and army reserve to potential recruits.

The former Preston Lodge High School pupil joined the regular army five years ago.

Marc is among soldiers teaming up to visit city centres, careers fairs and shopping malls across Scotland in a new national recruiting drive, offering young people the chance to find out more about the army roles available.

Soldiers and Army careers advisors will be on hand to discuss the possibilities open in the Army.

Having been deployed twice, once for three months to Cyprus and then attached to 246 Guerka Signal Squadron in Afghanistan, Marc admits he now wants to make the Reserves his career.

He said: “I have always wanted to join the Army to see the world but I joined the army reserves first to see what it was like – and I love it so much I will make the reserves my career now.

“Working with the Guerkas was the best six months of my life; I loved every minute and professionally I was challenged with working with technical fibre optics, which has widened my working experience well beyond my original ambition.” And the 26-year-old enjoyed one of his proudest moments in the army during the summer, as he marched at the Drumhead Service at Edinburgh Castle.

“Marching down the Royal Mile, where people were all cheering and my family were watching and waving, just consolidated my dedication and enthusiasm for the army reserve, and emphasised the important part I played in the whole scheme of events – I was well chuffed,” he added.

Marc will continue with recruiting in and around the Edinburgh area, saying that he believes the army has “so much to offer everyone, no matter what they choose to do”. For details of local recruitment events, visit www.army.mod.uk