As part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, supporting our Armed Forces community is at the heart of everything we do – which includes supporting our colleagues who are Reservists.

Joshua grew up dreaming of the day he’d become a pilot, but was prescribed glasses in college “and my plans went out the window,” he says. Still, that minor roadblock didn’t deter Joshua from pursuing what he calls the “next-best thing” – namely the opportunity to work on some of the platforms he once wanted to operate.

Joining General Dynamics’ graduate scheme as a systems engineer, he became intrigued by the Company’s Reservist policy. After learning about the Armed Forces Covenant and our commitment to supporting colleagues who wish to join the Armed Forces, he was able to turn his dream into a reality. “I didn’t want to give up my dawning civilian career to join as a regular, so I decided joining the RAF Reserves would be the best way to make it work,” he says.

Now applying the technical skills he’s learned since joining the Force, Joshua has the ability to influence and apply user feedback in his role as a systems engineer with General Dynamics.

“My reservist role is mutually beneficial for both me and the Company – I get first-hand experience to understand end-user cases.  That would be how and where the systems I’m working on will be used. It’s the perfect opportunity to see it from a user’s view.”