Trusting your reps in the reserve early on can be tricky. When you first join, you might not know who to listen to or who really has your best interests at heart. Some reps are there to help you succeed, while others might push their own agenda. It’s important to pay attention to how they act and what they say.
At the start, most reps will seem friendly and supportive. They want you to feel welcome and comfortable. But not everyone will always be honest or fair. Some might exaggerate what they can do for you or make promises they can’t keep. Others might try to influence your decisions in ways that benefit them more than you.
One way to figure out who to trust is to watch how they treat others. Do they help new members without expecting anything in return? Do they answer questions clearly and honestly? Do they admit when they don’t know something? These are good signs. If someone is always trying to impress you or seems to be hiding something, that’s a red flag.
It’s also smart to talk to more than one person. Don’t rely on just one rep for advice. Ask different people the same questions and see if their answers match. If everyone says similar things, you can feel more confident. If answers are all over the place, you might want to dig deeper.
Your own experience matters too. If something feels off, trust your gut. You don’t have to make big decisions right away. Take your time to learn about the reserve, get to know people, and see how things work. The more you learn, the better you’ll be at spotting who is trustworthy and who isn’t.
Remember, reps are human. They make mistakes and sometimes they don’t have all the answers. That’s okay. What matters is that they are honest, respectful, and willing to help. If you find someone like that, they’re probably worth trusting.
Sources
https://laist.com/news/confused-by-the-legal-battles-over-troop-deployments-heres-what-to-know
https://www.military.com/feature/2025/10/29/character-science-future-frontier-of-military-leadership-development.html
https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2025/11/10/meet-veterans-in-cchcs-corrections-services/
