Prince Harry FRONT LINE or NOT

[Artist]

To right he should. His uncle Prince Andrew served as a Chopper Pilot in the Falklands.

Harrys been taught to lead men. If his unit has to go to some place where the bullets are flying then he should go as well. If he don't then he's not going to be to popular with the men he leads.

You sign on the dotted line and regardless of what your Daddy is you take the rough with the smooth as far as I am concerned.

[chris5818]

Prince Harry has threatened to quit the Army if commanders refuse to send him to the front line.


He told senior officers before recently passing out of Sandhurst as a Second Lieutenant: "If I am not allowed to join my unit in a war zone, I will hand in my uniform."

Fair play to Harry, i have a lot of respect for him now, and hope he gets his wish, would be a shame for him to have to quit

[Artist]

Good on the Lad!

He's a breath of fresh air compared to that gutless PRONG Prince Edward.

Artist

[themattmeister]

Now don't lay into me too much as I'm the only one who has voted no so far.

I do so on the assumption that it would make his unit more susceptible to attack by insurgents and I don't think that anyone needs to be put in anymore danger then they would be already just because Harry wants to go and play soldiers.

Then again insurgents would probably shoot at anything that moves that's coalition related and don't have any intel on Harry's whereabouts while he's doing a sneaky so I could be wrong on the matter.

Fair enough for him wanting to but on the whole I'd say if it makes the situation anyworse it has to be a no.

For the record I think they only allowed him to sign as it's good for publicity and no doubt has encouraged more people to join the Army.

[chris5818]

Surely the iraq's or whoever he'll be fighting do not know which units are where?, and am sure the government are not going to drape his helmet in gold so don't know myself what the problem would be, unless of corse he was patrolling the streets in which case i suppose your right.


Tricky one after thinking that

Hell what do i know

[cruicent]

Surely the iraq's or whoever he'll be fighting do not know which units are where?, and am sure the government are not going to drape his helmet in gold so don't know myself what the problem would be, unless of corse he was patrolling the streets in which case i suppose your right.


Tricky one after thinking that

Hell what do i know

Even patrolling the streets, would they know what he looks like? He may be in the papers a bit in the UK but over here in the arab lands theres rarely a picture of any of the royal family (I dont really know what he looks like...)
Hear about the journalist who got kidnapped and had to explain to the insurgents how to use google to look him up?
I also hear he did well in training?

[Deadhead]

Fair comment, but surely that speculation was proved wrong with Prince Andrew flying during the Falklands.

Perhaps, but it was a lot more difficult for Prince Andrew to be personally targeted by the Argentines. You can't recognise a helicopter pilot from a distance the same way you can with infantry.

Politics also has an impact. Ignoring Harry's feelings for a moment (fair play to him though), there are a lot of possible disasters with having the third in line to the throne (and the second within the next year or so), serving on the front line. What if they're both captured? What if they're both killed? What if they get injured or killed by friendly fire? What if the unit they're leading ends up under an enormous insurgent attack simply because they happen to be in charge? What happens to the officer who ordered Harry into a particular situation if he dies? I know that my gut feeling is 'he signed on the dotted line, he should do his job', and to his credit he seems to feel the same. But how do you think the media would react to his capture? How would his father react? The ramifications of Harry being killed or captured are immense.

On another note, how far do you take his serving? When Charles is on the throne, is it wise for the future of the monarchy to have both heirs to the throne in combat zones? What about if/when Charles dies? Do we have a Monarch who is actively serving in a war zone? That hasn't happened for years.

Essentially I think it boils down to the fact that if Harry and William are killed while serving, the Windsor line as we know it will effectively be over. That changes the course of Britains political/social life. Not by as much as before Parliament, but still by a fair amount. So many questions surrounding the whole issue.......

But for my two cents, I say he should serve on the front line, but perhaps with a little more consideration being given to his close protection and visibility. No, other officers wouldn't get this treatment. But they don't give the insurgents a reason to go after them, and only them, personally.

[dwarfy]

Sorry people, ive just realised the main discussion on this was taking place here and not over on military forums. I just posted this over there, and realised its basicly getting at the same things as themattmeister bought up:

The only issue i can see with him serving in certain places is the idea of him possibly creating an increased security risk. Take iraq for instance, is it not concievable to believe that Al Zarquari and his Al-Queda followers may relish the chance to take a pop at such a high profile target? Can you imagine the media frenzy/propoganda issue(for their benefits) if he were to be killed by them(hate to say it), you ask a suicide bomber if he/she would like to launch an attack on British soldiers that may include Prince Harry, and see what the responce may be. I just wonder if maybe there may be an increased risk of suicide attacks or any attacks on our soldiers in iraq if they knew Prince Harry was serving there???

I think the insurgents would quite easliy get hold of information, even if it is very small and un-specific, such as Prince Harry's unit is being deployed to iraq, it could still in my oppinion increase the risk of attack.

[chris5818]

Jeeeez Deadhead, bloody good point got me stumped there. don't know what to think now.

If he was captured would hate to think what would be done about it, surely they wouldn't negotiate? or would they? would they have to?

[beardo]

I do so on the assumption that it would make his unit more susceptible to attack by insurgents and I don't think that anyone needs to be put in anymore danger then they would be already just because Harry wants to go and play soldiers.

I dont understand that comment at all? I joined the corps pretty much the same time Harry started training. I didnt join to ''go play soldiers'', and I'm pretty sure he, or anyone he trained with, did either

[dwarfy]

Beardo,

I think you have taken mattmeisters comment out of context. I think what he means is that just because Harry himself wishes to go to the 'frontline' i.e iraq, that doesnt mean that other soldiers lives should be further at risk because of this. Can you imagine the MOD having to explain to the families of soldiers killed from a roadside bomb, that their sons may have lost thier lives because the insurgents upped their attacks in the hope they would get Prince Harry?

The risks are high and i dont believe there is any need to higher them(if this may be the case, i dont know) just so Prince Harry can fulfil his soldiering needs. Its unfortunate for him, as he wants to do it, but if the case is made that he would increase risk in certain area,s then im afraid in my opinion he should,t go. Im sure he himslef would NOT want to further extend the risk to his men.

[themattmeister]

I think the insurgents would quite easliy get hold of information, even if it is very small and un-specific, such as Prince Harry's unit is being deployed to iraq, it could still in my oppinion increase the risk of attack.

I'm beginning to think that the mere presence of Harry in a specific region could concentrate insurgent efforts. People do have to remember that these people blow themselves up just to get at the West, the opportunity to have a go at getting Harry would be an Islamofascist's wet dream and too much to resist.

Basra for example is relatively peaceful and the presence of Harry there could increase attacks, troops would be wearing body armour again and hearts and minds would be out the window.

As is said above insurgents could obtain small unspecific information, but this doesn't even have to be true information to cause an attack upon some troops it could just be a Harry lookalike patrolling the streets who will get his unit in trouble.

Maybe with Andrew things were different because of the all out war situation, if I were an Argie at war I wouldn't care where Prince Andrew was I just been trying to do as many Brits as possible. I see the delicate situation of counter insurgency/guerilla warfare that Harry would be invovled in as a little different.

All in all I think maybe it's best if he stays at home and looks after granny and the corgi's.