Jesus, can I just vent for a second? I just got told off by a real piece of work who DEMANDED to know why I flat-out REFUSED to cover Prince Harry’s deployment to Afghanistan. So, let me defend myself: when it’s 9 am and you don’t see the story you’re waiting for, please just chill out. I will get to it. The VMAs were last night, there are two film festivals going on, and there’s lots of gossip. I repeat, CHILL OUT. Have a little trust that I will get to the story.
So, here’s the story that is somehow so epic and amazing that everyone pretty much predicted it as soon as we saw Prince Harry’s butt crack: “Huh, I wonder how the royal family will bounce back from that? Probably with photo-ops with sick kids and a deployment to Afghanistan.” I’m not saying that Harry’s military service isn’t authentic, admirable and inspirational. His service is all of those things. But it’s also damage control because he looks like a reckless party boy with a drinking problem.
Prince Harry is back on the frontline. The Prince, 27, arrived in Afghanistan early Friday morning to begin a tour of duty as a co-pilot of an Apache attack helicopter. Observers reported that he looked “relaxed, if slightly tired” after the overnight journey on a standard troop flight from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
In a series of photos released by British authorities on Friday morning, Captain Wales, as he is known in the army, is seen giving the thumbs up and walking along a line of choppers at Camp Bastion.
A spokesman at St.. James’s Palace says, “He’s approached the deployment with a range of emotions like any other soldier and feels both pride and anticipation as he deploys for a job he’s trained for, for so long. Prince Harry, like any soldier, considers it a great honor to represent his country in Her Majesty’s armed forces wherever it chooses to deploy him.”
The Queen and Prince of Wales were both fully briefed about his return to operations, and Charles is “immensely proud of his son”, the Palace said.
Having already served in the conflict-riven country, in 2007 and 2008, Harry has made no secret of his desire to return.
Earlier this year, he told CBS News, “If it was a pain for anyone for me to go, which I appreciate it probably is, but, you know, at the end of the time, at the end of the day, I’ve done my training. It’s cost the Army money to train me. And if they didn’t think that they could get me out there again, then they wouldn’t have put me through this training. It’s as simple as that.”
Harry’s last 10-week tour was when he served as a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry. As an accomplished pilot, he has won the accolade of best at taking controls of the weapons and sights of the multi-million dollar machine.
The Ministry of Defense says he will be working as part of the Joint Aviation Group (JAG), which provides helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan forces operating throughout Regional Command (South West).
In a statement, the Deputy Commander of the JAG and Commanding Officer of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps in the U.K., Lieutenant Colonel Tom de la Rue, said, “He has deployed along with the rest of the squadron as part of a long-planned and scheduled deployment to provide support to ISAF and Afghan forces operating in Helmand.
Despite representing his grandmother Queen Elizabeth in a tour of the Caribbean in March, a summer of being an ambassador for the British teams at the Olympics and Paralympics, and high-spirited partying in Las Vegas, this is his career. It will see him in the battle zone for several months – and he will be spending his 28th birthday on Sept. 15 out there.
You can see some new photos of Harry here – the pics were released by the Palace. It’s been a while since Harry was photographed in his camo. The last camo photos we have are from February of this year – Harry spent the rest of the year in suits, dress uniforms, Olympic gear and… you know, completely naked. So it’s a style choice too – “Look at our young, brave prince, look at him in his camo, and please forget about his butt crack.”
In any case, I’m happy that Harry is finally back to the job he’s always wanted. He loves being a soldier, and I hope he stays safe in Afghanistan. I find it interesting that the Palace is being so open with the announcement of his redeployment – this didn’t happen for his first deployment. He was just gone for months, and then the palace had to confirm the news after a tabloid reported it.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I only wish his deployment included invading Kitten’s biscuits. God, he looks good in camo….
LOL!!
P.S. We lurrrrve you, Kaiser.
HA!! Love it
Lol, naughty kitten!
In the UK there is 6 months of pre-deployment training for all military. So this actually explains the vegas trip to me. He knew he was going to deploy and went to blow off steam beforehand. Make so much more sense now. Still should have known better about the cell phones, but I’d prob go somewhere fun if I had to deploy.
I do think its weird that they are being so open about location, mission, even the kind of helicopter he’s flying. They were (wisely) secretive about that last time. I wonder what caused the change.
PS. Whoever yelled at you needs to back off. It’s 9 am and just because ‘their’ story didn’t make it on the first wave doesn’t mean anything…Jerks.
Agree. The Vegas trip did seem a bit rash until you put it in this context. I think the Palace has decided to be open with the press about his redeployment because a) it’s practically impossible to hide him now for 4 months, especially after jewelgate; and b) yeah, it is good for rehabilitating his image. More a then b though.
As for Harry, it seems this is what he always really wanted, so he’s got it. I hope he and the troops out there stay safe.
The Princes get the rules bent for them. They’re not normal soldiers, although when serving I think they’re treated the same. But they can pull strings. Otherwise Prince William would never be a pilot (20/20 vision is a requirement to all but him). So yes, I think a fully trained and certified royal pilot could be deployed in less than 6 months.
He’s been overseas in the Middle East before and knew he was going back. He was partying like a single soldier. He just forgot for a bit that he is also a prince. His bad, but I don’t blame him.
They have decided to be open about this since it was announced earlier this year that he would be going back. They said that its just easier to “Hide him in plain sight” than going through all the trouble to hide him. Harry was very upset that he was forced to leave last time so I suppose this will ensure that he can stay. Its disapointing Im sure that he isnt allowed to be on the front line this time, but I think it was a sneeky tactic that he used with the helicopter to ensure that he can do his part.
There isnt any special treatment going on with him. He is just like any other soldier here and I hope he is treated as so. He isnt like his brother who completed training less than half the time it took other men despite being on the lower half of his class. Also considering that he doesnt have the required 20/20 vision, its safe to say that he uses his position to get his way.
Hell, I’d join the army (or whatever he’s in) after looking at that pic! He’s the best publicity they could ever ask for!
I have a bad feeling about this
Mmm…we do too!
We think his deployment was made public because last time, when there was a request to keep it quiet, a foreign press didn’t and put all of the troops round him in even more danger. Considering that, it’s quite a common sense approach because the MOD have full control over what is reported and how, unlike last times fiasco when he had to be pulled out as soon as his whereabouts went public.
Still not comfortable with it though!
I can’t believe they’d be so irresponsibly open about his re-deployment, even for the sake of publicity.
If it is for publicity’s sake, shame on the palace because they might as well put a bull’s eye on both him and his regiment and the base they’ve published. They shouldn’t have gone into quite the detail that they did.
Since they have, it’s one of 2 things. It’s purely publicity and he’s not in dangerous territory or he is no where near where they claim he is. Either way, expect increased attacks on the base and apache helicopters for the time he is allegedly there.
The palace didn’t release his location-the ministry of defense did. Which is still weird.
The Royal Family falls under MOD govt dept.Plus they are head of Military. His exact details wouldn’t have been released without Palace consent.
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced this much detail is a red herring.
It was bad when an Australian publication revealed that he was serving in Afghanistan and where he was last time so he had to be taken off the line, it’s worse when the Ministry of Defense does it for whatever reason.
I don’t know what they were thinking, but hopefully they weren’t deliberately revealing Harry’s position as well as his company/regiment’s.
I wish Harry and everyone else serving there to be safe.
They given details of location, regiment and even his commanding officer. The report above is the abridged version.
That’s what I don’t understand. Saying he is re-deployed would have been enough, but giving out exact details is what has me flumoxed. I really hope for his entire regiment’s sake he isn’t where they say he is. It’s going to be a hellish 6mths for them whether he is at that location or not because Taliban will think he is there.
It’s all so PR predictable. Gives a nice insight into the power machinations of the palace though.
What astounds me is that the army (?) has no balls.
Totally agree with you guys. I can’t believe they announced where he is either unless it’s a ploy to get something to happen there.
I hope he stays safe.
Soldiers are asked to risk their life so I have no issues with naked Vegas shenanigans before deployment.
What I do have an issue with are the people (in this case women) who released the photos and spoke to the media. I don’t care if it’s Prince Harry or some guy you met, to take their hospitality and then do something so skanky makes me sad.
When did party girls lose their discretion?
I am sick of hearing that hedonism is the only antidote to being deployed. It may be the stereotypical path but it is not the only path. Y’all talk like they have no other choice or it is the only reasonable choice and therefore it’s all so okay. Because if you’re going to die, a life of screwing randoms and blackouts is what you want passing before your eyes. You can be proud. At least you’ve “lived”.
Um. I think what Roma was saying is that it’s the soldier’s CHOICE if he/she wants to have a last hurrah prior to deployment and that NONE of us are in a position to judge. I think that if they’re going to risk their lives for our safety, then maybe we should do right by them and let them have a free pass on one night of partying.
What is so shocking about a hedonistic (if you want to call it that) weekend before deployment? He is dedicated to charities, was in the public eye during the Olympics and it was in the lead up to the anniversary of his mothers death.
He is single and everyone was there by choice. If Harry or any man or woman wants to squeeze a little boob before they, I don’t find that offensive.
@TheOriginalKitten,
What choice? Sounds more like impulse to me. His whole life seems like that, the private life, the core life. He’s also in a privileged position and people are naive to think that he won’t be protected out there. The army has no balls, and subsumes itself to demands of the royals and their desire for relevance and the awesome PR.
Go on believing it was his CHOICE. That he’s so deep.
@Roma,
Console yourself with that thought, that squeezing a little boob before you die is the height of living.
@Hmmm…
I’m starting to see that you’re taking Harry’s antics a bit too personally.
If you have an axe to grind with the army then have at it but attempting to disguise your anger under a cloak of sanctimony comes across as diffident and actually kind of transparent.
Why you would care what any soldier chooses to do before they’re deployed is beyond my comprehension.
And I don’t believe I ever said he was “deep”, quite the contrary but the fact remains that I don’t judge him for wanting to have some fun.
@Roma,
As soon as you get personal you lose all semblance of authority in your comments. Says a lot about a commenter. Did not read the rest.
@Hmmm. You are taking this very, very personally.
Doesn’t he have to have a bunch of bodyguards surrounding him at all times when he’s “serving” in the army? To me, that’s rather ridiculous.
It irks me because my friend’s son died in Afghanistan. Like Harry really raises the bar for soldiers everywhere; give me a break.
It irks me too, KellyInSeattle. It also grieves me. I am sorry about your friend’s son. Like Harry is just a regular grunt without power or privilege, the unsung hero. Spare me. It’s atrocious. If he were a regular grunt, we wouldn’t hear anything about him. I can’t wait until he comes back a “hero”.
Yeah, and also, it’s not like Jack (one who was killed by a grenade at age 22) got to “go blow off steam in Las Vegas” and make a complete ass of himself. Nor would he…he was more mature and classy at age 22 than Harry is now. Stop showcasing him as a soldier, please, when people are dying. I doubt his life is in danger.
@KellyinSeattle,
Very poignantly stated. Yeah, I don’t think Harry’s life is anywhere near in danger. And who would want him as the poster boy for the military and for those who live and die for their country ? It’s demeaning.
RIP Jack. The true poster boy. Gone too soon.
Why would Harry need personal bodyguards in a camp already full of thousands of armed and trained soldiers? And when he goes to engage the enemy, where would he fit those bodyguards in a 2-man helicopter?
What?? They announce that he will be in Afghanistan? Are they stupid? I know that is their stupid little damage control, which they don’t even need because everyone still loves him, AND it is so dangerous for him and his mates over there! He is an open target now.
Announcing it might be damage control (although since it’s the Defense ministry doing so I doubt it), but there’s no way he was moved for deployment in 2 weeks. This has to have been planned for months, and the vegas trip has to have been the predeployment party.
Like everyone else, I’m confused as to what the Defense ministry is thinking.
Yup, that’s what I meant, the announcement is the damage control. Him going to Afghanistan was planned long before!
Watch your back Harry and stay safe. We look forward to your return.
How odd to publicly announce it. They should’ve put him in rehab instead.
Why should he be in rehab? Was he diagnosed with alcoholism or drug problems?
If he’s fit and healthy to be in the military and pass the tests, why shouldn’t he be there to serve?
Many people would have been calling for his head if he just lived his life getting drunk and doing absolutely nothing with his life.
Here he is serving his country and some people think it’s still not good enough. Baffling.
Kaiser – I don’t think it’s damage control.
He has been training for his Apache pilot duties since 2011. He hasn’t abandoned his military training at all and then just picked it up when the photos leaked.
I assume he has been taking tests about his fitness and mental preparation for deployment since he started training last year.
The news about his re-deployment was already out since Feb 2012:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/9070589/Prince-Harry-to-return-to-front-line.html
I think that the power of the charming and good looking Harry and the power of a prince combined with palace PR scramble people’s brains.
From everything I’ve read he wasn’t meant to deploy for a bit of a while yet. The gross announcement makes it doubly suspect. Who announces the deployment of a known possible target? How naive and wishful can one be to believe it’s all above board and pure?
So much sentimentality all around.
@Hmmm – Normally I am sceptical about the pr games the royal family plays BUT in this case, Harry’s deployment has been known for a long time. He has been training for it, and once he passed his Apache training, was a foregone conclusion.
It was thought he would go at some point this year, but the date was not public knowledge. Which makes this announcement all the more puzzling.
However, going back to the pr games the palace plays, Harry isn’t the beneficiary of good pr handling and that is entirely because he is the spare. He isn’t as protected as his brother, can be in Afghanistan, and is allowed to be a proper soldier – that ‘naked salute to Harry’ from soldiers wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t think he was one of them and was just a pr plant.
William is the pretend soldier and will never see combat despite any vanity training he has received, but we shall continue to hear about his rescues…..sigh!!
@LAK,
From Wendy Berry’s book it is so clear that Harry had been enchanted by the military from a very young age. I don’t doubt his desire to play that role.
However, I can’t play him as a victim either. It’s PR, IMO, and Harry is going with it to save his bacon. He may think he has no choice, but that still doesn’t make him a victim. He needs to grow up, and certainly, going to Afghanistan the last time has not helped him grow up at all. So it makes me wonder, what is the point of it all? He tries to live his dream and the bad folk won’t let him? Such a victim.
IMO he’s babied and coddled and he’s not strong enough to say no, if he actually wanted to.
I think that both William and Harry play at their roles. The military has no balls and let’s it be. If Harry, indeed, wants a shot at real war, he is living in a fairy tale.
If Harry wants to stand tall for his country, then why didn’t he do it in peaceful ways as well instead of being a sentimental favourite in the debauchery stakes? I guess it’s much easier to look like a brave tough guy going to the front than navigating the complexity of common life.
Dear lord but he is hot in those photos. Makes me want to wave the Union Jack.
Ok if we’re going down the conspiracy road how’s about Harry somehow staged the nude photos? Maybe he wanted to be deployed after months of training but was constantly told no, so a quick public scandal and hey presto he’s off for positive pr.
Someone explain this to me… Prince Harry had to be removed from combat when the press said where he was because the palace said it put him and his unit in extra danger. But now the palace is telling the press when, and where Prince Harry will be and what type of aircraft he will be in. I really hope nothing bad happens to Harry or anyone serving alongside him because of the palaces stupidity in trying to cover a wild weekend in Vegas.
Double post
.
Stay safe Harry. Stay safe everyone over there.
I am so proud of Harry and all our and the UK’s armed forces. I hope they all come home safe. I think Harry deserves to be able to serve his country. Some people are just meant to do that,and we should support that, not criticize it as a PR stunt. He is very much so putting himself in harm’s way.
I heard on BBC radio earlier that because Harry won’t be on the front line like he was in his first deployment the MoD felt it was safe to announce this deployment.
The Queen gets furious when she has been embarrassed. This makes me very nervous. Diana was the last one that invoked her wrath and look where she is now.
I’m sorry, but what are you talking about?
Are you implying that the Queen would send her grandson to Afghanistan, on purpose, hoping that something bad would happen to him because some vile people sold the photos to the press, so the royal family must ‘dispense’ of Harry?
The Queen may not be the easiest customer, but to subtly accuse her of Diana’s death and as well as being the reason for Harry’s deployment is just foul.
I hope you’re just joking or that I misread your comment. If I did, I apologize.
The press knows that this was planned for months, maybe the US Tabloids don’t but the British press has been discussing his soon deployment for months. This was planned for months, it’s the reason why Pr.Harry went to Branson’s island for his friends party and then to Las VEGAS, HE wanted to party,go wild, have fun before his deployment. Real Royal watchers knew about his deployment all along, if you read some of the Las Vegas Partying stories you will see in the stories that it says Harry was going to be deployed soon so he wanted to party before he left.
The papers are full of crap as usual, this is not punishment, this is something Pr.Harry has been looking forward to, Pr.William wants to go but they won’t let him, so he has to stay home and try to make babies with anorexic-botoxed Kate.
The palace made it clear MONTHS ago that they would announce it when he went back. Now he is back, so they have announced it. This has nothing to do with PR, they would NEVER risk his saftey for some good press.
Okay fine… I told them to say all those details and that he was in Afghanistan, because no one needs to know he is here with me.. it’s bad enough it’s nekkid Harry 2.0 while he is hiding in my closet when the Hubby gets suspicious. The secret is out, happy now? Sheesh.
Okay fine… I told them to say all those details and that he was in Afghanistan, because no one needs to know he is here with me.. it’s bad enough it’s nekkid Harry 2.0 while he is hiding in my closet when the Hubby gets suspicious. The secret is out, happy now?
Be safe kiddo.
Why do I think “deployed to Afghanistan” is really code for banished to the dungeon?