UK Prince Harry to IRQ?

[The Bread Guy]

Well, he couldn't go to Afghanistan, but if you believe News of the World, they'll let him go to Iraq? -- Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

Harry Heads to Iraq
By Ryan Sabey, News of the World (UK), 14 Jan 07
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ACTION man Prince Harry's guts and skill are about to be put to the ultimate test — as his regiment heads to war in Iraq.  The royal family and army top brass all know he will be a prize target for battling insurgents and factions.  But this week 2nd Lieutenant Harry will get special pre-deployment training — including Arabic lessons — with other key members of his Blues and Royals regiment earmarked to serve in Iraq from April.  The two-day course with the Operational Training and Advisory Group (OPTAG) is ONLY given to troops heading for the war zone.  An Army source said: "This training is exclusively for troops given the green light for Iraq.  "They don't waste time, money and manpower on anyone else.  "If a soldier's in OPTAG training for Iraq then he's going, simple as that." 

If Harry is sent it will nail widespread speculation that the 22-year-old prince will be kept away from frontline duties because of safety fears.  Harry will be delighted. He has repeatedly told friends he is desperate to serve "like any other officer".  The specialist OPTAG sessions, to be held at the Household Cavalry's barracks in Windsor, Berkshire, will drill Harry and his comrades in basic Iraqi Arabic in a bid to win over the hearts and minds of the people.  Lectures will also deal with local customs, welfare problems and tough living conditions, including extreme weather changes. 

An Army insider said: "They are taught words and phrases from a special vocabulary book so that they may address civilians politely but also issue orders and warnings.  The prince will get instruction on the geography and climate of the region plus specialised drills that have been adapted just for Iraq.  This ranges from contact drills — what to do if you or your unit is shot at or bombed — to the way sentry duty is carried out. What Harry and rest will get is the benefit of hard-learned lessons passed on by the men and women who've served before them.  It's a final phase of training prior to deployment.  The next step is a dress rehearsal exercise carried out by the entire brigade over several days in the UK.  Once that's complete they're off to do the business." 

As part of the build-up to war Harry will also spend a week on exercise with up to 1,000 other men on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, next month.  Harry will don a special laser suit that will reveal if he has been "shot" in the hi-tech war games.  Tellingly, Prince William, who is also part of the Blues and Royals but junior to Harry in terms of training, will NOT take part in the exercises or the OPTAG lectures. 

Instead, he will embark on a troop leader's course in Bovington, Dorset, for five months starting from March.  As second-in-line to the throne he cannot serve in a war zone.  It has also been confirmed he will quit the army after a year before spending time with the RAF and Navy, combined with royal duties.  But young brother Harry is now set to follow in the footsteps of his uncle Prince Andrew, who served in the 1982 Falklands War flying Sea King helicopters on risky battle missions. 

A Clarence House spokesman confirmed: "Prince Harry is undergoing this training but no final decision has been made on whether he will be deployed. That will come shortly."  But an inside source source insisted: "Harry's desperate to go.  I wouldn't want to be the one telling him he can't get on the plane."

A bit more from The Guardian:

....  A Defense Ministry spokesman said the Blues and Royals were among a number of regiments being considered for deployment to Iraq in April.  ``Even if the regiment is selected, it is not the case that the entire regiment would be deployed. If his unit was selected, it would be down to the unit commander to determine whether it would be appropriate for Harry to go,'' the spokesman said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity in line with policy.  The Defense Ministry has previously said Harry could go to Iraq if his unit was deployed, but he might be kept out of situations where his presence would jeopardize his comrades ....

I've been out for a bit, so I'm kinda unclear about how a platoon/troop commander, if he's in Iraq, could be "kept out of situations where his presence would jeopardize his comrades".  If the pl/tp is in the thick, how can the cdr not be?  Otherwise, the whole pl/tp has to be kept out?

 

[niner domestic]

Lord, what is the big fuss about? His uncle, and grandfather went off to war as did his grandmother.  Let the man go and do his duty and leave him alone to do it. The media did the same line of stories back in the days of the Falklands with Prince Andrew.  He came back just fine. 

 

[The Rifleman]

His uncle is a Falklands vet and a very brave one at that (decoy for exocet - and he was 2nd in line to the throne!) I hope he gets deployed - even if it is only as a watchkeeper in the Squadron HQ

Actually Afghanistan would be safer in regards to insurgents targetting him - deployed out in the middle of nowhere in his CVRT in a recce role would be better than a fixed peace keeping role

 

[cobbler]

Shouldn't this be the kind of thing the media should try to keep low key?

 

[The Rifleman]

you mean like when 2 Para were heading for Goose Green (Falklands war) and the BBC announced it on the World Service

(H Jones VC mentioned that he was going to sue the Beeb when he returned as he directly blamed them for the loss of some of his men - shame he didn't survive to keep his promise!)

 

[rmacqueen]

Shouldn't this be the kind of thing the media should try to keep low key?

The British press keep this quiet?  :rofl:

 

[niner domestic]

Yes, I think my all time favourite beeb blunder during the Falklands was them carrying this story before it was confirmed.  It was a story put out for propaganda purposes by the Argentines and picked up by the beeb and papers - it says the Canberra is in flames.

(on a personal note, this was just one of many news stories that the media did that caused me to up-chuck my breakfast from fear before the rear party had a chance to call us and tell us it was unfounded.  Col H was right, they needed to be sued)

 

[The Bread Guy]

His uncle is a Falklands vet and a very brave one at that (decoy for exocet - and he was 2nd in line to the throne!) I hope he gets deployed - even if it is only as a watchkeeper in the Squadron HQ

And here's what might be planned for, indeed - shared with usual disclaimer.

Harry WILL go to war zone after secret deal with army
This is London, 20 Jan 07
Article Link

Prince Harry may soon get his wish to serve in a war zone under a secret deal that is being thrashed out between Royal aides and the Ministry of Defence.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the ex-SAS soldier who is Harry's Private Secretary, is trying to persuade military top brass to allow the 22-year-old Prince to serve as a watchkeeper, monitoring communications between a base camp and the front line.

As The Mail on Sunday revealed last year, Harry, a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry, has threatened to quit the Army if commanders refuse to send him to war.

He wants to serve alongside his men, posing a huge dilemma for Army chiefs who fear that if the Prince, who is third in line to the Throne, is allowed to serve in a combat zone, he may be killed or put his comrades at risk.

They also fear the nation would not be able to contemplate the thought of losing Harry on top of the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

But now, under a compromise deal being discussed by Clarence House and the MoD, Harry may be allowed to serve in a 'rear area' away from the most intense fighting.

No decision has been made about whether Harry might be deployed to Iraq in April or to Afghanistan in October.

But senior sources in his regiment, the Blues and Royals, say that a posting to Kabul or Kandahar in Afghanistan is the most likely option.

A meeting is due to take place in three weeks' time between senior Cavalry commanders and Clarence House officials.

As a watchkeeper, Harry would be trained to use computers, secure phone lines and encrypted radios to monitor operations.

Watchkeepers usually become experts in a specific skill, such as ammunition supply, and have to provide commanders with regular briefings and updates.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: "Lowther-Pinkerton is acting as a go-between between Clarence House and the MoD.

"Harry is determined to serve Queen and country like all those in his regiment.

"He wants to be able to hold his head up and say to his fellow officers and men, 'I did my bit.'

"Harry will still get a campaign medal to prove he has served in a war zone, and watchkeeping duties are not a bad compromise."

Harry's regimental colleagues say he is 'quietly confident' he will be allowed to go to war in some capacity.

A senior source within the Household Cavalry said: "Harry is very level-headed, but he is concerned that if he does not deploy he will be an embarrassment to the regiment and useless to the Army as an officer.

"He has fought against being given special treatment all the way and has asked time and time again to deploy with his men but, at the same time, he accepts the regiment has a duty to reduce the risk he faces.

"From a regimental point of view, we want him to deploy. Why else would he join the Army and the Household Cavalry if he did not want to go to war and serve his country?"

Both Clarence House and the MoD said that no decision has yet been taken about Harry's deployment.

 

[rmacqueen]

"Harry is determined to serve Queen and country like all those in his regiment.

"He wants to be able to hold his head up and say to his fellow officers and men, 'I did my bit.'

Good on him, he might actually restore some faith in the royal household.