Prince Harry prepares for a mission in his Apache helicopter during training in the Naval Air Facility in El Centro, Calif., in this photograph taken on Oct. 25. The photo was distrubited Thursday by the U.K. Ministry of Defence. (Photo: MoD)
Prince Harry is heading back to the front lines.
After qualifying Wednesday as a front line Apache attack helicopter pilot, Harry — or Cpt. Wales — will join a unit in Afghanistan that has the highest “kill rate,” the Telegraph reported. The move comes after 18 months of training.
The Ministry of Defence is not saying when the prince will return to action, but did say he is expected to fly in combat.
That’s not really a surprise – given the amount of training he has had, he’d have to do something with it. A lot of money went into training Harry, and the thing is, Harry seems to genuinely love what he does.
He has been described as a natural pilot and ranks in the top of his class. On Wednesday night, he was also awarded the best co-pilot gunner of his class.
The news about Harry had the prince trending on Twitter last night. And why not? The young royal is not only adorable, he’s about to go back into combat for his country and serve along other men and women from all walks of life. In a way, Harry seems a bit more “real” to the Average Joe. This is a guy willing to lay his life on the line. It’s admirable.
But first, he’s off to Jamaica, Belize, the Bahamas and Brazil. He’s said to want to race sprinter Usain Bolt during his 10-day tour.
Some reports said Harry is unlikely to return to Afghanistan until the fall (certainly he won’t be going before his grandmother’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June).