Prince Harry Takes on the Taliban

In case you have been living under a royal rock, it was announced this morning that Prince Harry has landed in Afghanistan for his second tour of duty. The 27-year-old Apache helicopter pilot (and third in line to the throne), has abandoned the comfort of Kensington Palace for the next four months to call Camp Bastion in the Helmand province his temporary home.

 Although Harry’s stint on enemy soil was cut short four years ago after news of his whereabouts was leaked, there is clearly no media blackout this time around. After being named the best co-pilot gunner in his class this February, Harry enters this round fighting against the terrorists on a different playing field. The young royal will be flying high in the sky most of the time, but here’s hoping that when he’s wandering around celebrating his 28th birthday next week he covers that red hair with a helmet and has perfected his American accent.

Now Harry’s headline-grabbing Las Vegas getaway makes a little more sense – clearly a pre-deployment blow-out with his bros. I realize I have yet to address the scandalous Sin City antics on my blog…that is on purpose and I intend to keep it that way. But I will say this – to those of you who think this deployment is a form of punishment, an exile to the enemy, you’re a little nuts. It has been discussed for quite some time that he would go back this year/early next, the exact date was just a question mark. Furthermore, the army does not operate like that.

As Ingrid Seward said on Good Morning America this morning, “It’s Harry the hero, not Harry the playboy Prince.”

Thoughts and prayers are with my favorite royal over the next four months. Now, after Will & Kate’s tour what ever will I do for material? Think it’s time to start filling out those Reiss dresses Kate..if you know what I mean. #royalbabywatch

 Kick some terrorist butt, H!

Out and About with Harry..

There is no such thing as rest for Prince Harry – or the fans who blog about him 😉 

Before the dust could settle on his Apache training course completion, Prince Harry was out and about in England on Friday, hard at work for both his military and charitable duties. Not only did it give royal observers something to talk about other than his inevitable deployment, but it gave the women countless handsome photos to get them through the day – not me of course, i was hard at work..nope, never stopped working to look at pictures or anything..

First up on the agenda – the Royal Air Force’s Honington, Suffolk base to meet with fellow servicemen, veterans and their families. Fresh on the heels of his “Best Co-Pilot Gunner” award, Captain Harry Wales presented several awards to the troops. Dressed in fatigues (oh my..) and a shiny new Rolex, the 27-year-old prince chatted with fellow RAF troops about Afghanistan, checked out the equipment and confessed his nightmares about forgetting his kit.

Who doesn’t’ love a man in uniform?

*All photo credit: Socialite Life, PopSugar and The British Monarchy

Photos just not enough for you? Yea, me neither. Check out a video from BBC News.

Next, the dashing young prince was off to London to launch the Walking With The Wounded Everest Expedition. As you may recall, Harry was hoping to join the wounded servicemen he had previously accompanied to the North Pole on this next adventure, but is unable to do so. Just because he cannot physically be there with the men on their trek up Everest in May does not mean he doesn’t support them every step of the way. As a patron of the group, Harry joined the expedition launch, even hitting a treadmill in an altitude chamber that staged some of the climb’s conditions – let’s just say he gave everyone a good smile on that one. Emerging slightly out of breath and a little extra color in his face, Harry then gave a speech in which he praised the men and the cause. To learn more about Everest 2012, please visit the trek’s official web site. I also strongly encourage you to follow @supportthewalk on Twitter; a fantastic way to keep up with a truly incredible organization. Thanks goes out to Max Foster and Georgina Brewer for their wonderful twitter updates throughout the event.

*All Photo Credit: PopSugar and The British Monarchy

Big News on My Favorite Royal..

Okay, I know I’m not supposed to have a favorite, but I think the title of the blog says it all! Last night, Clarence House announced that Prince Harry has completed his 18-month Apache helicopter training, making him a fully operational Apache pilot. At a dinner marking the completion of his course, the handsome young prince was awarded a top honor – Best Co-Pilot Gunner. Congratulations Prince Harry! According to the official release from the palace, Harry has reached what is called “Limited Combat Ready status” and will be assigned to 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps within 16 Air Assault Brigade. If anyone knows exactly what those titles mean of the top of their heads – I salute you.

As you may recall, the royal family’s “Top Gun” spent two months in the United States at the end of 2011 to train for this honorable goal he has just reached. To see a newly released video of Captain Wales during his stint abroad, check out this posting from The Telegraph: Prince Harry in Afghanistan: MOD release footage of Harry in Apache training.

Royal watchers could sense the end to training was near when it was discovered last week that Harry underwent intense hostage training to prepare for a less than friendly encounter with the Taliban.

Which brings us to the next step – now that the daring prince has completed his training course, where does he go from here? It is no surprise that his next move will be to kick some serious Taliban ass in Afghanistan. Pardon my language, but I like to imagine Harry doing just that as opposed to any alternative. It has been no secret that a deployment would most likely happen by the end of 2012, and Harry himself has made it clear all along that he wished to return to the front lines. This has been a much buzzed about topic since Harry’s early return in 2008; more recently signs have been mounting that the return would happen in 2012. From his training course in the United States to his early overseas Diamond Jubilee tour assignment, observers have simply been waiting for the official announcement.

When will Prince Harry depart for battle? The exact answer is still up in the air; speculation surrounds the end of this summer. It would be difficult for Harry to leave an earlier amidst the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics. The Ministry of Defense is stressing the point that all deployment decisions will be made up until the last minute, leaving the Prime Minister with the final call. As reported by Paul Harrison via Twitter ( @SkyNewsRoyal ), it will be a matter of chain of command. Also up for debate – will there be a media blackout similar to that of his first deployment? This morning, the Telegraph is calling this announcement a major departure from the media protocol followed in 2008. As always, opinions are swirling in the social media space as to whether a media blackout as intense as the first is necessary, why Clarence House would make such an announcement regarding his military status and what precautions will be taken to ensure his safety. We will find out soon enough how it all plays out..

What’s my take on all of this? Yes, it is sad and worrisome to think of Prince Harry in Afghanistan, where every moment is unknown and danger lurks around every corner. However, he would not be the guy that everyone admires and respects if he did not go; his dedication to his country, the armed forces and the men he trains and fights beside is a large part of who he is – the people’s prince that we all love. In talking with my dad following the announcement, he said to me “I’ve gotta hand it to the British Royal Family, they really do their part with the troops.” He is completely right. It may be unsettling, but it’s just one of the many admirable qualities about Captain Harry Wales.

For all official information, please visit the web site of the Prince of Wales – Prince Harry Completes Apache Training and is Awarded Best Co-Pilot Gunner Award.