A True Prince
And some people wonder how I can be a monarchist…
Well, this ought to shut up the naysayers (a few of ‘em, anyway). HRH Prince Henry of Wales (aka Prince Harry) may not have made it to Iraq like he was hoping to, but he sure as hell managed to get his ass in the grass in Afghanistan! And damned good for him, too. An Aussie mag, a German paper and Drudge sprung the story a while ago, and Britain’s Defence Ministry confirmed it today.
From Drudge:
They’re calling him “Harry the Hero!”
British Royal Prince Harry has been fighting in Afghanistan since late December — and has been directly involved in gun battle, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
The prince, a junior officer in the Blues and Royals, and third in line to the throne, has been a “magnificent soldier” and an “inspiration to all of Briton.”
Prince Harry is taking part in a new offensive against the Taliban.
The Ministry Of What You Should Think has more:
“His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary,” said the head of the British army, Gen. Richard Dannatt. “He has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his battle group.”
In an interview from Afghanistan that was made public Thursday, Harry told the BBC the deployment is “massively important” and a “turning point” in his life.
“It’s very nice to be sort of a normal person for once. I think it’s about as normal as I’m going to get,” he said, adding that he doesn’t miss anything from home, even alcohol. The prince often made headlines for his partying.
[...]
Harry has often complained he would quit the armed forces unless he is allowed to fight alongside his colleagues. When he graduated from military college in 2006, Harry told an interviewer he wasn’t going to put himself through military school “and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country.”
After his deployment to Iraq was canned, about a dozen defence officials quietly hatched a plan to send the prince to Afghanistan, CBC correspondent Adrienne Arsenault said.
A handful of journalists were invited to observe Harry on the battlefield under the agreement they would not report the information until the deployment had ended. The news blackout was intended to reduce the risk to the prince and his regiment.
CNN gets in on the act, too:
He was deployed 10 weeks ago and his fellow soldiers were sworn to secrecy.
The prince’s status is currently being reviewed, the Ministry of Defense said.
Harry is third in line to the British throne and serves with the Blues and Royals
His main role has been as a member of a group called Joint Tactical Air Control, or JTAC.
“As far as I’m concerned I’m out here as a normal JTAC on the ground and not as Prince Harry” he said.
In a recent interview with CNN correspondent Paula Newton, Prince Harry said, “At the end of the day I like to sort of be a normal person, and for once I think this is about as normal as I’m ever going to get.”
And in a pre-deployment interview with the British Press Association, he said: “If I’m wanted, if I’m needed, then I will serve my country as I signed up to do.”
The head of the British Army, Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt, said Harry’s deployment had been kept secret after striking an agreement with the media.
British and international media — including CNN — had agreed not to report Harry’s deployment because of security concerns for him and his unit. The military confirmed the operation after a U.S. Web site broke the news blackout.
Dannatt said: “What the last two months have shown is that it is perfectly possible for Prince Harry to be employed just the same as other Army officers of his rank and experience.
All I can say is: Damned fine job, lad! God bless you, and come home in one piece.
