Prince Harry has been fighting on the frontlines in Afghanistan since December, directly involved in battle

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... they're not allowed to actually get their hands dirty.

Not really knowing the nature of his work in Helmand province over the last few months, I can't really comment on whether or not he got his hands dirty. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

[churipu 4]

I just read in Yahoo news that Prince Harry's deployment is over because news about it leaked.

ETA: Sorry, I didn't see someone above already reported about it.

Edited February 29, 2008 by churipu

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

... they're not allowed to actually get their hands dirty.

Not really knowing the nature of his work in Helmand province over the last few months, I can't really comment on whether or not he got his hands dirty. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

I'm not criticising him BTW - but rather the government & military higher-ups who don't think his choice to serve in the armed forces - in an active combat zone - is a commitment that should be taken seriously.

Both his grandfather and uncle served in wars - without the silly "should he, shouldn't he" garbage.

[Miranda&James 8]

... they're not allowed to actually get their hands dirty.

Not really knowing the nature of his work in Helmand province over the last few months, I can't really comment on whether or not he got his hands dirty. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

I'm not criticising him BTW - but rather the government & military higher-ups who don't think his choice to serve in the armed forces - in an active combat zone - is a commitment that should be taken seriously.

Both his grandfather and uncle served in wars - without the silly "should he, shouldn't he" garbage.

I think it is absolutely noble that he served just as it is noble for every other soldier (regardless of their status) but the fact remains that he is of course a high profile target. By keeping his involvement private they reduced his risk as well as the risk to his comrades so releasing this information was very irresponsible. With his grandfather and uncle there wasn't nearly the plethora of information readily available whereas now the entire world has probably seen pictures of Harry splashed across the internet.

... they're not allowed to actually get their hands dirty.

Not really knowing the nature of his work in Helmand province over the last few months, I can't really comment on whether or not he got his hands dirty. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

I'm not criticising him BTW - but rather the government & military higher-ups who don't think his choice to serve in the armed forces - in an active combat zone - is a commitment that should be taken seriously.

Both his grandfather and uncle served in wars - without the silly "should he, shouldn't he" garbage.

I think it is absolutely noble that he served just as it is noble for every other soldier (regardless of their status) but the fact remains that he is of course a high profile target. By keeping his involvement private they reduced his risk as well as the risk to his comrades so releasing this information was very irresponsible. With his grandfather and uncle there wasn't nearly the plethora of information readily available whereas now the entire world has probably seen pictures of Harry splashed across the internet.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Harry, third in line to the British crown, didn't seem overly happy with his homeland's press, who have given generous coverage in recent years to his partying escapades in the nightclubs of London and elsewhere.

"I don't want to sit around in Windsor," he said, referring to his barracks near a royal residence outside London in a pooled interview in Afghanistan last week, released after the blackout on his whereabouts was broken.

"But I generally don't like England that much and, you know, it's nice to be away from all the press and the papers and all the general s..(expletive) that they write."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=08...;show_article=1

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

... they're not allowed to actually get their hands dirty.

Not really knowing the nature of his work in Helmand province over the last few months, I can't really comment on whether or not he got his hands dirty. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

I'm not criticising him BTW - but rather the government & military higher-ups who don't think his choice to serve in the armed forces - in an active combat zone - is a commitment that should be taken seriously.

Both his grandfather and uncle served in wars - without the silly "should he, shouldn't he" garbage.

I think it is absolutely noble that he served just as it is noble for every other soldier (regardless of their status) but the fact remains that he is of course a high profile target. By keeping his involvement private they reduced his risk as well as the risk to his comrades so releasing this information was very irresponsible. With his grandfather and uncle there wasn't nearly the plethora of information readily available whereas now the entire world has probably seen pictures of Harry splashed across the internet.

... they're not allowed to actually get their hands dirty.

Not really knowing the nature of his work in Helmand province over the last few months, I can't really comment on whether or not he got his hands dirty. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

I'm not criticising him BTW - but rather the government & military higher-ups who don't think his choice to serve in the armed forces - in an active combat zone - is a commitment that should be taken seriously.

Both his grandfather and uncle served in wars - without the silly "should he, shouldn't he" garbage.

I think it is absolutely noble that he served just as it is noble for every other soldier (regardless of their status) but the fact remains that he is of course a high profile target. By keeping his involvement private they reduced his risk as well as the risk to his comrades so releasing this information was very irresponsible. With his grandfather and uncle there wasn't nearly the plethora of information readily available whereas now the entire world has probably seen pictures of Harry splashed across the internet.

How is it irresponsible to release the information? I'd say the expectation that the worldwide media should (or could) sit on this story - especially as a precondition for allowing Harry to serve on the frontlines - is simply ridiculous.

If there was no chance that Harry could serve in frontline combat through a regular tour of duty, the way he apparently wanted to, then it was simply pointless for him to have joined up in the first place, and someone should have been up front about that at the outset. As for him being a "high profile target" that didn't come out of left-field - its something that was always apparent, even when they were growing up. That said, becoming a member of the armed forces isn't exactly a 'safe' occupation at the best of times - you have to expect that there's a real possibility of being shot or blown up. Even at the best of times.

Perhaps that's the reason so few children of Senators or Congressmen are in the armed forces - their lives are too valuable from a PR standpoint.

I'm not surprise that he is frustrated by it. Essentially they want him to be a toy soldier, a guy to look nice in a uniform - but not to the point where he could be in the position of actually risking his life. As I say, they don't seem to want to let him get his hands dirty.

I guess, I object to the idea that a person's life should be stage-managed by outside forces that interfere with their ability to pursue their ambitions and aspirations.

Britains royal family has served in armed conflicts before - the only difference here is in the amount of media coverage this particular war has received.

Edited February 29, 2008 by Number 6

[Peikko 1,575]

Can't he just rescind his entitlement to the throne and become a commoner?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Can't he just rescind his entitlement to the throne and become a commoner?

I think some of them should definitely be "demoted" as it were. Specifically - Prince Edward.

Still I doubt that doing so would make much of a difference to Harry's position. He'll always be "The Prince", even if he were to decide not to be.

Edited February 29, 2008 by Number 6

[Peikko 1,575]

Probably, but if he doesn't try, he'll never know Anyway, I'm still going with the "he let it leak himself in order to go home for a booty call" theory.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Probably, but if he doesn't try, he'll never know Anyway, I'm still going with the "he let it leak himself in order to go home for a booty call" theory.

maybe.

He has done some silly things in his time - and I'm not too enamoured with half of that lot.