Prince Harry Gets The Battle Call

(CBS/AP)  Prince Harry, the third-in-line to the British throne, will be deployed to Iraq, the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

His regiment, the Blues and Royals, is expected to deploy to Iraq this spring. Harry could become the first royal to see combat since his uncle, Prince Andrew, served in the Falklands war against Argentina in 1982.

Harry, a second lieutenant, has expressed his desire to serve alongside his comrades in Iraq, saying that there was "no way" he was going to undergo rigorous training and then stay away from the battlefield. He graduated last year from Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

Britain's Ministry of Defense has previously said that Harry could be kept out of situations where his presence could jeopardize his comrades.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports that people in Britain are worried, not just for Harry's personal safety, but for what it would mean for the nation if something were to happen to him.

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Royal watcher Victoria Mather tells CBS News that if the prince were to be killed by Iraq's insurgency, "of course, it would be a propaganda victory, huge, huge."

Harry's regiment is trained for front-line duty, and may end up patrolling the border with Iran.

Whereas the prince stood out among his fellow cadets at the Sandhurst Academy due to the constant attention and easy recognition, Phillips says in Iraq, he'll be "just another grunt in uniform," making it difficult for the enemy to single him out on the battle field.

The 22-year-old prince, known as Troop Commander Wales by his regiment, has trained to command 11 soldiers and four Scimitar tanks.

In joining the military, Harry followed a royal tradition: his father, Prince Charles, was a pilot with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and a ship commander, and Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy during World War II.

Prince Andrew was a Royal Navy pilot.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that Britain would be reducing its commitment in Iraq, withdrawing 1,600 soldiers in the next few months.

[anopinion1]

Phillips says in Iraq, he'll be "just another grunt in uniform," making it difficult for the enemy to single him out on the battle field.


yea right... besides they wont fly the kid into iraq... oh they will tell him it was iraq but it wont be...

like he wouldnt stand out with 20 body gaurds in a circle around him at all times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[j.woodcowling]

Stop press, reported by British Republican movement g,[e-mail] Prince Harry in Iraq will have a permanent bodyguard of British Army crack troops the SAS.

[mdc76082]

sorry about that skyhawk, i get carried away. i loved what i did. i miss it. i wish i could do it all over again. my sincerest apology to you skyhawk. i don't put down people who wore the uniform, no matter what they did. Just like i don't put down anyone's religion or political beliefs. it's a free country and we did our part to keep it free. now it's someone else's job. doc18 and skyhawk, someday maybe our paths will cross. i hope so. the military community is smaller than one thinks. fair winds and following seas where ever you go. i'm pretty much here at home nowadays. take care my friends. see you on the posts.

[doc18d]

Accepted, enjoy the Bud, It is hard to tell who the possers are. I did serve proudly, and unfortunatly unless they start giving out bs units or dates that you can check its impossible to call them on it. If you have soemone you really want to check out, try military.com the msg boards have a spec ops section, and they love to bust out posseres.
keep the faith brothers.

[skyhawk761]

And I to you doc18. After reading my post I did go overboard. If you did serve I am truly sorry for my actions. We can agree to dis agree without the name calling. Sorry! My first Bud tonight is to you.

[doc18d]

It's a shame that my initial comment on leave the politician%u2019s kids alone. And stop calling them names turned into this. I apologize to the rest of you who are listening to this garbage. I am ashamed that fellow veterans would treat their brothers like this.

[doc18d]

mdc Thanks for having my back brother. Skyhawk you have'nt earned the right to question my integrity. YOu don't respect anyone. WHo are you to question my career just because you haven't heard my name since when? Tucker what the hell are you talking about CB radios. Sea Bees are navy combat engineers. Tough guys doing a hell of a job, but not in S.O.F. Special Ops consists of Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Air force Para Rescue. I was proud to be in the Specia Forces, I was proud to wear the Green Beret. I was proud to do the things we did with out the media coverage or the welcome home.
My kids suffered every time I deployed. They grew up without me around, and knew that just like some of their friends, they may never see their dad again. Tucker Who the f&*# are you to call me a blow hard braggert. Not once untill now have I said anything about what I did. skyhawk why don't you follow your usual behavior and keep your #$#%*&( mouth shut and your *** down now. F&$@ the both of you.

[skyhawk761]

mdc76082, the only one I'm knocking is doc18d. I have said before that I have the utmost respect for anyone serving now or has served. I find it unusual that his screen name appears after the stories of the horrid conditions at WR VA hospital surfaced. As I stated before, I went when asked, did my tour, have a bum shoulder to show so I did do my part to protect the Constitution of the U.S.A. and am dam n proud of doing so. I thank you for making a career of it but four years was enough for me!

[tuckerndfw]

My cousin was in the Navy and he spent four years in the "bush" in Thailand back in the early 60's.

He was part of a special ops unit. They had something to do with radios, I think. He called himself a CB.

It was weird, though, the CB's built stuff. He worked mostly on building or maintaining airports. He drove a bulldozer. What that has to do with CB radios is beyond me.

But, I don't recall him talking about it as if it was particularly exciting or risky.

[tuckerndfw]

USAREUR = US ARmy EURope

Isn't that cute?

I re-read my comment and realized most people, including career bush man, probably didn't know what USAREUR meant.