[MadIvan]

I have to admire his bravado and willingness to put his life on the line.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[BlackVeil]

His red hair, alone, would mark him out.

[television is just wrong]

He must be trying to find himself. Second in line, after his brother. Looking for his own spot in history?

[Enterprise]

I admire his determination also. It is a special man who runs TO the disturbance, the sound of guns, the danger of personal harm. If he is allowed to go, I wish him luck and safety, and I hope that he finds the leader in himself that he seeks. In time, the citizens of England may need that leadership.

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

I admire his intent to serve his country on the front lines. As a technical question, however, can one just 'quit' the military if not given the opportunity one desires?

[Reform4Bush]

Ditto. Quite impressed with Harry's maturation.

Can Harry run for PM? Not sure he would want the job, but perhaps he would appreciate the challenge of an elected leadership position.

[Clive]

Is this something new, Ivan?

He wouldm't be the first royal to see active duty in a war zone.

I had always understood that the nobility, including the royals, were treated the same as any other officer once they put on HM uniform and were sent wherever the good of the service required and were treated according to their rank, not according to their title of nobility.

As to exposing his men to danger, modern combat camoflage does not allow a royal to be any more noticeable than any other junior officer.

It looks like someone at Buck house is attempting to interfere with the military chain of command and the kid doesn't like it.

OTOH, attempting to blackmail senior officers into allowing him to pick his posting is not a good career move for someone just coming out of Sandhurst.

[Hot Tabasco]

I have to admire his bravado and willingness to put his life on the line.

I do too! Its got to be real tough being that kid and I'm sure all he wants is a normal life just like the rest of us.

[Yaelle]

I think it's wonderful. Nice to see he's got a pair. I hope he gets his way and manages to survive.

[Caipirabob]

A man being a man, I suppose. Admirable, and enough to drive libs on both sides of the pond up the wall.

I hope he gets his wish, and that he returns safe, a roll model for both our peoples. We need them so much more these days.

[SkyPilot]

I do admire him. He is a young man with courage. Moreover, he has genuinely bonded with members of his unit, and it shows.

I didn't know his last names was actually "Wales" as in Lt. Wales. Quite extraordinary.

[leadpenny]

Another TR.

Bully!

[Tax-chick]

their main problem is not whether Harry can take the pressure of coming under fire in action – but whether the lives of the men fighting alongside him will be more at risk because he is regarded as a ‘trophy target’ by insurgents.

A reasonable concern, I must say.

Nonetheless, I hope something is worked out so that the Lieutenant can see action with his comrades. Good for him!

[TomGuy]

Prince Harry does seem to have more 'character' and gumption than most of the Royals.

[DoughtyOne]

Same here. I do have some mixed thoughts on him being assigned to the front lines though. Does it expose his fellow troops to an elevated risk based on his status? I think that's a valid question.

[GSlob]

A Solomonous decision would be to post him to an artillery unit: no desk job, some shooting, and no close contact with the natives.

[dinasour]

Now I know he's not Charles kid.

[Hardastarboard]

I'm not qualified to judge here; I never served. Having said that, I do believe that if I were in his unit, and really believed he was sincere, I wouldn't care about the extra risk. Just knowing that this guy wanted to be there would motivate me to take extra care not to let anything happen to him. That and not wanting history to show that I was on the squad that let Harry get captured or killed.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Three years ago during the battle for Basra, Trooper Chris Finney of the Blues and Royals, who was just 19, won a rare George Cross for gallantry for saving his comrades after their Scimitar came under attack, by mistake, from American bombers.

. . . which gets me to my pet peeve. People are outraged when there is a "friendly fire" incident - but the fog of war asssures that such incidents will occur. Indeed, when you are inflicting a hundred times the casualties on the enemy as he is on you, you want your bombers to be aggressive enough that they will end up killing about as many of your own troops as the enemy will.

But high-profile casualties such as Pat Tillman or, Heaven forefend, Lt. Wales are treated as scandalous.

[snugs]

In an interview with Prince Andrew for the Queen's 80th birthday he was adamant if either Harry's or William's unit was sent to Iraq or Afghanistan then they would go with them.

As far as Andrew was concerned it was not up for discussion, Buckingham Palace and the Queen would not stop nor want to. As far as he was concerned they never tried to stop him it was all media talk. He considered it done and dusted if your unit goes you go.