Prince Harry current events 14: March 5 - March 30 2007

[cowarth]

What is organic food?

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by cowarth

What is organic food?

Prince Charles is a heartfelt advocate of organically grown food products -- without pesticides, without any chemicals that are harmful to other species or the environment, and without any hormones in the cows and chickens. Hence, the "organic milk" you see in some stores.

Sorry I don't know very much about it, except that the methods that he encourages and practices on his farms are concerned with ecological issues. Many health food stores in the US have organic products, I believe Whole Foods and Gelsons are good sources. They tend to be pricey because organic methods are not as cost-effective as the more popular alternatives. I think in the UK, "Tesco" is a source of organic food too. ??

I love Prince Charles for using his position as Duke of Cornwall to promote and execute practices he believes are ecologically responsible rather than focusing on running a profit-based operation. I imagine he sometimes must operate at losses.

Personally, I like organic foods. I am not perfect at buying only organic, far from it, but I do buy organic milk and love it, and there's some other things, but I guess I've gone very far off topic. I hope I answered your question somewhat helpfully and I'll save the moderators the trouble, here goes:

This board is about Prince Harry's current events. Please stay on topic.

I always wanted to do that!! I'm sorry if I overstep my bounds.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by cowarth

What is organic food?

This should explain, perhaps Harry should read it!

What is organic food?

[cowarth]

Thanks for the link.

Nice to know there are environmentally friendly ways to farm.

Does the food taste any differently?

How much does it cost to farm this way?

[cowarth]

What does he do before he deploys?

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by cowarth

Does the food taste any differently?

I can only tell about Germany, but the food definately tastes better and recent research said that it's only about 6-10% more when it comes to prices in the shops.

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by cowarth

What does he do before he deploys?

mock-combat training in Thetford Forest, Norfolk (2 weeks ago?) - Guardian Observer

Un-related to training: He tries buying "VAT"-free iPod
He went to a US Army base "BX" (US Army stores are usually PX, so this "BX" is strange to me) trying to buy an iPod.But one of his friends was asked to show US military ID. - Telegraph

Was his Salisbury Plain training this week and is that over?

[cowarth]

Originally Posted by CasiraghiTrio

mock-combat training in Thetford Forest, Norfolk (2 weeks ago?) - Guardian Observer

Un-related to training: He tries buying "VAT"-free iPod
He went to a US Army base "BX" (US Army stores are usually PX, so this "BX" is strange to me) trying to buy an iPod.But one of his friends was asked to show US military ID. - Telegraph

Was his Salisbury Plain training this week and is that over?

No, I meant what does he do once all of the mock combat is over, the spare time, before he deploys?

Or is it non stop training before you deploy?

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by cowarth

No, I meant what does he do once all of the mock combat is over, the spare time, before he deploys?
Or is it non stop training before you deploy?

It is just like any job, he will have ordinary duties to perform, checking and rechecking the kit he is issued and the extra's he thinks he will need. Umpteen sessions covering everything the senior offices think you need to know, talking with people who have been out there and learning what you really need to know. Meeting with friends and family, going out for meals and drinks.

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

It is just like any job, he will have ordinary duties to perform, checking and rechecking the kit he is issued and the extra's he thinks he will need. Umpteen sessions covering everything the senior offices think you need to know, talking with people who have been out there and learning what you really need to know. Meeting with friends and family, going out for meals and drinks.

Definitely. But as a junior officer, he will have a lot of work (no doubt, paperwork). On the other hand, as an officer, he will be able to delegate some tasks that will help him get the results faster and please his superiors.
Either way, he must have lots of things dumped in his lap to 'handle'. His CO marches up to him: "Cornet Wales, are you slacking off on my watch? Back to the office, now, and make me a fresh pot of coffee, and this time use grounded beans!" Just kidding around.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by CasiraghiTrio

Definitely. But as a junior officer, he will have a lot of work (no doubt, paperwork). On the other hand, as an officer, he will be able to delegate some tasks that will help him get the results faster and please his superiors.

He is a very junior officer and as I said he will have his ordinary duties to perform, the same duties he would have to perform whether he was deployed or not and the same duties he has been involved in since completing the course at Bovington. As he is not an admin officer, he shouldn't need to be doing any extra paperwork at all, apart from making a will, next of kin letters etc. As for delegating, all men and women preparing for deployment check their own kit, it's not much good getting out there and finding that someone else didn't pack your undies!

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

He is a very junior officer and as I said he will have his ordinary duties to perform, the same duties he would have to perform whether he was deployed or not and the same duties he has been involved in since completing the course at Bovington. As he is not an admin officer, he shouldn't need to be doing any extra paperwork at all, apart from making a will, next of kin letters etc. As for delegating, all men and women preparing for deployment check their own kit, it's not much good getting out there and finding that someone else didn't pack your undies!

Is 10 or 12 men the press says he will command the total of his division?
Then maybe the next senior one of them under Second LT/Cornet Wales must be (enlisted) E-6 or E-7??? If the British army works at all like the US navy, from my experience, I can see that maybe he issues his E-7 to be in charge of certain things, then the E-7 takes it from there. Of course that would leave Prince Harry to focus on his 'kit' (I am not familiar with that at all because I was never deployed in a combat zone and was never on a ship, where perhaps there might be some equivalent?? like a 'seabag' maybe. I did have to pack a 'seabag' for squadron deployments but these were all on land and during peacetime, so it wasn't a big deal. Also, I'm not familar with Army things in general, even US Army, so excuse my ignorance!) But I am fascinated to know about his Army career, what he does exactly and how his command works.

[Skydragon]

There are 12 men in a Recce Troop, each Scimiter holds 3 men. All the men have their own tasks to do, their own preparations to make. Harry is able to give orders to any rank below him or at the order of a more senior officer to his equals. He can give his own orders to a WO1 or 2, even a Staff or ordinary sergeant, but it would be frowned upon if he tried to order any of them to perform his assigned duties, as it would if he took a private away from the job he had been given. Most junior officers learn within the first day or two to leave the running of the men to the non commissioned officers, as with any large organisation, there are ways and means of doing things and for the first few months, a senior officer will take more notice of his non comms, than a JO.

With the kit, there are certain items they are allowed to take as well as what they must take and even for officers, it must all be within a set weight. One of our boys is 6ft 9inches and despite him argueing that his clothing weighed more, it was only with the help of his men that he managed to take any 'extra's'. Parents can of course send 'extra's' out to arrive before them!

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

but it would be frowned upon if he tried to order any of them to perform his assigned duties, as it would if he took a private away from the job he had been given.

Oh you misunderstood me there. I never meant to convey an idea that he would delegate his personal tasks, those which every officer of his rank must do. I was talking more of the daily missions for the unit. My impression from the news reports was that he is in charge of the unit, so I assumed that he would take charge of the missions. Naturally, he would pass down things, and the tasks would trickle down the COC accordingly, but ultimately, as I assumed before, Second LT Wales would sign off of things -- from my navy (naval aviation) experience, flight missions. The entire COC must sign off on these missions and signing off entails many checks and inventories that are undertaken and accounted for from bottom up, all the way to the Commanding Officer. Certainly while he has his own duties separate from 'the missions', he is part of the daily missions, no?
I don't know anything about what those missions are for Army recon units.
I guess you can substitute the planes for tanks? And perhaps Cornet Wales is like a 'pilot' (driver)? The enlisted men take care of the pre-operational checks, the servicing, parts ordering, whatever?

[cowarth]

Is 10 or 12 men the press says he will command the total of his division?

He will command 11 men in his devision.

Parents can of course send 'extra's' out to arrive before them

I hope Harry takes advantage of this feature.

The entire COC must sign off on these missions and signing off entails many checks and inventories that are undertaken and accounted for from bottom up, all the way to the Commanding Officer.

So Harry is just another check list in the COC?

[Lamyah]

Prince Harry's drunken 3am brawl | the Mail on Sunday

It is hardly behaviour becoming of a Prince. Emerging from his favourite nightclub after downing several "Crack Baby' vodka shots, Prince Harry stumbles spectacularly into the gutter. Only seconds earlier he had lashed out at a photographer, chasing him through West London's late-night traffic and trying to shove him in the back.

Harry can be his worse enemy sometimes. I would suggest he end this friendship with Mr. Dyer and Ms. Pinkham

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by CasiraghiTrio

Oh you misunderstood me there.

As you know that is where my expertise lies!

I never meant to convey an idea that he would delegate his personal tasks, those which every officer of his rank must do. I was talking more of the daily missions for the unit. My impression from the news reports was that he is in charge of the unit, so I assumed that he would take charge of the missions.

The daily missions of the unit are at the moment probably decided by the Major, who passes the instruction down through the officer ranks, until they get to Harry. Harry will probably then have a word with the WO's and leave the organising up to them. The officers who are in admin will already have held meetings to work out who will be going where and on what errands or exercises. Harry's unit consists of 11 men, who day to day take their orders from the non comms. The privates report to the corporals, the corporals to their sergeants, the sergeants to their WO, who will then, as you say pass the papers to Harry for his signature.
At the moment I would imagine all of them are studying hard to learn a few phrases, various tactics they may be able to employ, stripping their guns down etc, etc.

And it would seem plenty of time to get drunk and make a fool of himself.