Now THAT'S a proper Prince Royal!

[gridlore]

UK's Prince Harry fighting in Afghanistan

The UK's Prince Harry has been serving on the frontline in Afghanistan and seen combat, the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed Thursday.

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.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "The whole of Britain will be proud of the outstanding service he is giving. For the last 10 weeks, he has joined the thousands of members of the British Armed Forces who have served with such distinction in difficult circumstances in Afghanistan since 2001."

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.

"His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary. He has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his Battlegroup. "In common with all of his generation in the army today, he is a credit to the nation."

Dannatt added that he and senior commanders will now be reviewing Harry's deployment.

Last year, the military ruled Harry could not be sent to Iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk.

Oh, HELL yeah. He could have played it safe, graduated from Sandhurst and accepted a safe assignment designed to protect the third in line to the Throne of England. But Lieutenant Harry Wales (His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales to you civies) is a soldier. Denied serving with the Blues and Royals in Iraq; Lt. Wales retrained as a Forward Air Controller and has been serving in combat directing RAF airstrikes against the Taliban.

In combat. Exposing himself to enemy fire to accurately direct incoming jets and helicopters to kill the enemies of western civilization. Somewhere, Henry V is smiling.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

HRH Prince Henry of Wales will pick up many titles and honors in his life. But the one that will probably carry the most weight in his heart will be the simplest. Tommy.

Uh-RAH, Leftenant Wales!

Comments

[taschoene.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear!

And let's also hear it for Matt "The Coward" Drudge, who decided to run the story at the risk of Harry's safety (and that of his mates) when even the British tabloids had agreed to keep mum. When The Sun, of all papers, is holding itself to a higher standard of conduct, it's time to seriously reconsider your ethical position.

[arib.livejournal.com]

In the UK, the government can enforce press blackouts, they can't in the US.

Still, I want to throttle Drudge.

[taschoene.livejournal.com]

Yes and no. The British D-Notice system is technically voluntary, not a true censorship system. Lord knows I've seen enough stories that violate the standing DA-Notice on military operations. Newspapers can, in theory, be prosecued under the Official Secrets Act, but it's incredibly hard, and I don't know that it has ever actually happened.

In any case, the embargo on this story was voluntary, in exchange for the promise videos/photos and access when Harry returned (he was slated for a four-month tour). Some major US news outlets, such as CNN, were included, sio it wasn't just a UK thing. Drudge presumably burned it because he wasn't going to get any of that access.

[arib.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that. Thanks for clearing it up. :-)

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

One of the prices America pays for not having an aristocracy is losing the concept that prospective leaders put themselves in harm's way. Yes, some of them get unlucky, but the rest have heard a bullet go "PING!" before they decide the lives and deaths of millions.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Oh, we haven't lost the concept (or we wouldn't be having this gripefest). Ours just don't follow through with doing it.

[chaotic-nipple.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think that if we ever return to the draft, the system should be modified so taht the children of the 'upper class', explicitly including Congreess and the President, are the very first ones inducted.

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

Sounds like his parents ( and grandmum) picked an appropriate name for him, eh? Henry V (and Wm Shakespeare) must be smiling, indeed.

[dalen-talas.livejournal.com]

His grandma's hardcore as well - HM served in Women's Auxiliary during WWII.

[cleverthylacine]

Damn, that's hot :)

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Follow the CNN link. They have video of him patrolling.

Charles so needs to abdicate in favor of William, and Harry needs to follow in his Uncle Andy's footsteps (the last Royal to serve in combat) by dating porn stars.

Rule Britannia!

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Absofraggin'lutely.

[melchar.livejournal.com]

[grumble, grumble - Brits looking REAL good - and making the US look lame ... again]

And darn -you- too, sir. Your quote brought tears to my eyes. ^_^

[dalen-talas.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you won't ever see Dubya in full kit. Unless he's posing for cameras.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

[odanu.livejournal.com]

1) I think his legal last name is Windsor, not Wales.

2) I'm pissed at whoever leaked this story, because now Prince Harry will have to be evacuated, because he's simply too tempting a target. Bastard journalist.

[arib.livejournal.com]

Technically, IIRC, his last name is Mountbatten-Windsor. He (and Prince Charles) use Wales as a last name while serving in the military.

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

I'm going to disagree. I don't think Drudge is a journalist. A bastard, sure, but not a journalist. No real attempt to be accurate (and an absolutely horrible record), no investigation, no verification of facts…

[odanu.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize until you said this that Drudge was the leaker. I stand corrected. That's not journalism, not even yellow journalism. Asshole.