Harry has been serving
for four months as a co-pilot gunner (CPG) in southern Helmand province
-- considered a Taliban heartland -- and flew on scores of missions with
the trigger to rockets, missiles and a 30mm cannon at his fingertips.
No one is saying how many
insurgents Harry might have killed but toward the end of his
deployment, the 28-year-old, known to his comrades as Captain Wales,
shared some of his feelings about combat with reporters while on duty in
the massive military base
known as Camp Bastion. He said it was
sometimes justified to "take a life to save a life. That's what we
revolve around, I suppose."
Harry explained how the
roles of Apaches and CPGs have changed since his previous deployments in
2007 and 2008. "It used to be very much: front seat, you're firing the
whole time.
"Now, yes we fire when we have to but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything else.
"Our job out here is to
make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that means shooting
someone who is shooting at them, then we will do it," said the prince,
third in line to the British throne.
"It's not the reason I decided to do this job. The reason to do this job was to get back out here, and carry on with a job."
Away from his helicopter,
the prince mixed freely on base, eating in the canteen with everyone
else and relaxing by playing video games with others in the 130-strong
662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC). With those comrades, he
was just "one of the guys."
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