Thursday, 22 February 2007
Prince Harry's regiment is to be sent to Iraq for a six-month tour of duty, defence officials have confirmed.
His Blues and Royals regiment will serve as part of the latest deployments to the country, they said.
While in Iraq, the prince will carry out "a normal troop commander's role", a joint statement by the Ministry of Defence and Clarence House said.
He will be the first senior royal to serve on the front line since Prince Andrew in the Falklands in 1982.
This will involve "leading a troop of 12 men in four Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles, each with a crew of three" from the regiment's "A squadron", the statement added.
"The decision to deploy him has been a military one, made by Chief of General Staff, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, in conjunction with Cornet Wales' commanding officer," it said.
"The Royal household has been consulted throughout."
Further details of exactly where Harry would serve, or his specific role, would not be released because such a move would be "potentially dangerous", the statement added.
A Blues and Royals source said Harry, who has long expressed his determination to see front-line action, was "over the moon" at the deployment.
Last year, the prince said: "There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6383747.stm