Prince Harry current events 16: 1 May 2007 - 16 May 2007

[Sister Morphine]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

BBC NEWS | UK | Prince Harry not to serve in Iraq

Prince Harry will now not serve in Iraq. I tell you what, this government couldn't organise an orgy in a brothel.

What a mess this has been. If it's been deemed to dangerous for him to serve now, why wasn't it too dangerous for him to serve waaaaaaaaay back when they said he was going to? Why all of a sudden NOW is it too dangerous and logistically impossible? I'm with you....this has been a complete screw-up from day one.

[cowarth]

Harry is dealing with this disapointment in a very mature way.

[Avalon]

Originally Posted by Sister Morphine

What a mess this has been. If it's been deemed to dangerous for him to serve now, why wasn't it too dangerous for him to serve waaaaaaaaay back when they said he was going to? Why all of a sudden NOW is it too dangerous and logistically impossible? I'm with you....this has been a complete screw-up from day one.

Richard Dannatt, Head of the British Army, said in his statement about Harry's deployment that he had always left the possiblity the Prince wouldn't go open. And he made up his mind after visiting Iraq recently, where he found many threats (some reported, some not) were aimed directly at Prince Harry. Hence he thought the risk is unaccaptable not only for Harry but also for those around him.

Edit: Here is the quote from Sir Richard Dannatt - Full article here.

"Over the last few weeks I have made a particular point of saying that I would keep under constant review my decision to deploy Prince Harry to Iraq with his Troop. As with any military operation, circumstances do change, and therefore so should decisions, if necessary.
"I have decided today that Prince Harry will not deploy as a Troop Leader with his Squadron. I have come to this final decision following a further and wide round of consultation, including a visit to Iraq by myself at the end of last week.
"There have been a number of specific threats – some reported and some not reported - which relate directly to Prince Harry as an individual. These threats place not only him but also those around him to a degree of risk that I now deem unacceptable. Now that I have decided that he will not be deploying with his Troop, the risks faced by his Battlegroup are no different to those faced by any other Battlegroup or other of our Servicemen in Iraq.
"I have to add that a contributing factor to this increase in threat to Prince Harry has been the widespread knowledge and discussion of his deployment. It is a fact that this close scrutiny has exacerbated the situation and this is something that I wish to avoid in future."

[HRH Kimetha]

Harry is indeed a professional soldier and will deal with this setback. He is now free to crosstrain into another military position or may take his expertise in training others coming up from behind him in battle principles. There is always Afghanistan. But, it will have to be a convert operation to get Harry out of England into Afghanistan, then back to England before the press hears of it and splashes him all over their cover.

[Verde Esmeralda]

I kind of knew from the very beginning that this wouldn't happen...

At 11th hour Army confirms Prince Harry will not serve in Iraq

[cowarth]

Harry would be serving in Iraq IF the media had left him alone.

[iowabelle]

Not that I wanted Harry to go, but I am disappointed that he won't be able to use his training. The Army needs to find the young man a meaningful job.

I wonder whether the Army has considered sending Harry off on some humanitarian missions, especially since he has already expressed an interest in this kind of work. (It seems like the U.S. Army and other branches of the military have humanitarian missions, so I would assume the British do also.)

[georgiea]

Originally Posted by iowabelle

Not that I wanted Harry to go, but I am disappointed that he won't be able to use his training. The Army needs to find the young man a meaningful job.

I wonder whether the Army has considered sending Harry off on some humanitarian missions, especially since he has already expressed an interest in this kind of work. (It seems like the U.S. Army and other branches of the military have humanitarian missions, so I would assume the British do also.)

I agreed with you. I hope the Army will find him a meaningful job.

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by Empress

Well,the military has positions for anything and everything. Everything from Janitorial and supply chain command, to 4 star generals. There must be something meaningful that he can do without going into combat. Strategy, corps of engineers, medical orderly, train as a pilot, a linguist, an interrogator, or anything else. I hope.

Exactly! And every one of these departments needs competent, dedicated management, so there's lots of worthwhile things for Harry to do apart from blasting the enemy to smithereens.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Roslyn

Exactly! And every one of these departments needs competent, dedicated management, so there's lots of worthwhile things for Harry to do apart from blasting the enemy to smithereens.

What you say is true. However, that is not what you go to Sandhurst for. That is not what his specialist training was for. That is not what his troop is for. Whichever way you look at it, Harry is now in an invidious position.

Yes, he can become the Poster Boy for polishing the seat of his pants behind a desk. All safe and secure, unlike his peers and his unit. I don't think there is any way situation can be called a win.

Unless something drastic happens in the very near future I think we will see a lot more of Harry playing polo and partying up large, followed by a resignation after a decent amount of time has passed. What else has he got. They haven't even left him with any self respect. "OK, we all knew from the start that this was a dangerous job, but if that's what you want, well here is you entrance to Sandhurst".

I cannot believe the MoD is that incompetent. They sent someone to Iraq to find out if it was too dangerous? War is dangerous. Even a child could have told them that, without the trip to Iraq.

That the Chiefs of Staff at the MoD are that indecisive, and have vacillated and procrastinated over just this one extremely sensitive issue, makes me wonder at their competence and therefore the safety of all military personnel in harms way.

[kpusa1981]

It is really stupid they are not sending him beecause he has been trained for it and besides not sending him means that they have to find another 2nd Lt or LT to take his place and lead his troop.

[Sister Morphine]

Originally Posted by MARG

What you say is true. However, that is not what you go to Sandhurst for. That is not what his specialist training was for. That is not what his troop is for. Whichever way you look at it, Harry is now in an invidious position.

Yes, he can become the Poster Boy for polishing the seat of his pants behind a desk. All safe and secure, unlike his peers and his unit. I don't think there is any way situation can be called a win.

Unless something drastic happens in the very near future I think we will see a lot more of Harry playing polo and partying up large, followed by a resignation after a decent amount of time has passed. What else has he got. They haven't even left him with any self respect. "OK, we all knew from the start that this was a dangerous job, but if that's what you want, well here is you entrance to Sandhurst".

I cannot believe the MoD is that incompetent. They sent someone to Iraq to find out if it was too dangerous? War is dangerous. Even a child could have told them that, without the trip to Iraq.

That the Chiefs of Staff at the MoD are that indecisive, and have vacillated and procrastinated over just this one extremely sensitive issue, makes me wonder at their competence and therefore the safety of all military personnel in harms way.

I think this post about sums it up. Bravo, bravo, bravo.

[branchg]

When you join the Army, you go where they tell you to go. It doesn't matter whether you're an officer who graduated from Sandhurst or a new recruit off the street.

The fact is Prince Harry deploying to Iraq presented an unacceptable risk not only to him personally, but the rest of his unit. When you consider that just a month ago, Iran was holding British soldiers as hostages under questionable pretenses, the matter becomes one of national security as well.

The world is a complicated place right now.

[kpusa1981]

Originally Posted by chrissy57

He is the same age as William and went to the same school - Eton. It is therefore safe to assume that he does know William.

He is 28 according the orginal article which means when William started at Eton Lycett-Green would been doig A-levels.

[Sister Morphine]

Originally Posted by kpusa1981

He is 28 according the orginal article which means when William started at Eton Lycett-Green would been doig A-levels.

So based on this information, is it safe to assume that they've probably never even met?

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by Empress

Well,the military has positions for anything and everything. Everything from Janitorial and supply chain command, to 4 star generals. There must be something meaningful that he can do without going into combat. Strategy, corps of engineers, medical orderly, train as a pilot, a linguist, an interrogator, or anything else. I hope.

Nothing that Harry has been specifically trained to do!

The person I feel sorry for is Richard Dannatt, who, probably under pressure from others, had to make this difficult decision.

[HRH Kimetha]

Originally Posted by kpusa1981

It is really stupid they are not sending him beecause he has been trained for it and besides not sending him means that they have to find another 2nd Lt or LT to take his place and lead his troop.

Apparently, there were other factors involved that didn't make the news front out of Iraq. Perhaps infiltrators into the British Army by Iraq Military "spies" that would have spelled death before Harry even changed his boots.

[Roslyn]

Originally Posted by MARG

What you say is true. However, that is not what you go to Sandhurst for. That is not what his specialist training was for. That is not what his troop is for. Whichever way you look at it, Harry is now in an invidious position.

Yes, he can become the Poster Boy for polishing the seat of his pants behind a desk. All safe and secure, unlike his peers and his unit. I don't think there is any way situation can be called a win.

Unless something drastic happens in the very near future I think we will see a lot more of Harry playing polo and partying up large, followed by a resignation after a decent amount of time has passed. What else has he got. They haven't even left him with any self respect. "OK, we all knew from the start that this was a dangerous job, but if that's what you want, well here is you entrance to Sandhurst".

I cannot believe the MoD is that incompetent. They sent someone to Iraq to find out if it was too dangerous? War is dangerous. Even a child could have told them that, without the trip to Iraq.

That the Chiefs of Staff at the MoD are that indecisive, and have vacillated and procrastinated over just this one extremely sensitive issue, makes me wonder at their competence and therefore the safety of all military personnel in harms way.

I agree with everything you say. It seems to have been a snafu from the start.

I am still staggered that it has taken the MoD this long to work out they couldn't send Harry to Iraq. IMO he should never have gone to Sandhurst or been trained for a combat role. That's been unfair to him.

Maybe he'll show more maturity than I expect of him in view of his temperament and at his age, and accept the hand the fates have dealt him and settle into a non-combat role within the army. But, again, why train him for combat in the first place? I won't be surprised if he leaves as soon as he can.

I think Harry's situation highlights the plight of the spare today. What can he do? He needs something worthwhile to occupy himself, but what? He's always wanted to be a soldier, and that's admirable, but not practical. What else is he suited for? If he does leave the army, what will he do?

He's young, and enthusiastic, but he's not academically gifted or that way inclined. Ideally he would have gone to university and studied something that would have equipped him for a diplomatic career or some such safe but worthwhile career. But that's not Harry. His dreams of being a soldier have just been dashed and I don't know what he's going to do. I expect a bit of rebellion from him, and considering what we have seen of his habits that rebellion could be extreme.