Sutton Coldfield army reservist overwhelmed by messages after collecting military medal
A Sutton Coldfield resident and Army Reservist says he has been stunned by the incredible response he received after sharing news on Twitter about collecting a special recognition medal from the military.
Captain Jay Singh-Sohal VR tweeted a photograph of himself in uniform holding up the Volunteer Reserve Service Medal (VRSM) and saw his post go viral on social media, receiving half a million impressions, more than 10,000 likes and hundreds of positive comments, including from MPs, veterans, and senior military officials.
Jay shared a message which read: “On almost 12 years to the day since I joined the British Army, I’m deeply honoured to receive the VRSM. Proud to serve my country in uniform!
"Thank you to my family and friends who’ve supported my Reservist career all these years, through the good times and hard.”
He said: “The response was phenomenal. I just felt like tweeting because being a Reservist is a big commitment and you spend time away so you need the support of your friends, family, employers and others.
"This was an opportunity to show my pride in what I do and thank people. I was blown away by the incredible response and positive messages.”
The VRSM is a special recognition awarded to Army reservists who accrue a decade of continuous service. Recipients earn the right to carry the post-nominals “VR” after their name.
Jay joined 55 Military Intelligence in Stourbridge in 2009, and has during his reservist career served on Operations against ISIS and in countries including India, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Italy and Germany.
In 2020, during the COVID emergency, he voluntarily mobilised for the Army’s response to the pandemic during Op Rescript.
