Should Harry be sent to the front lines?

Originally Posted by The Basket

I think treason is still a punishable offence by death

Nah, we're now fully ratified signatories to the european convention on human rights which specifically prohibits the death penalty, except in times of war. Hmm, seeing as the "war on terror" will never actually end, I still may not be safe

Edit: ahh, no, looks like we've ratified protocol 13 too which specifically bans the death penalty in all circumstances. Don't recall us making too much fuss about Saddam's execution mind, though I do remember Mr Blair dodging the question

Send him, only don't deploy him with us 'ordinary' folk instead team him up with a bunch of other like-minded posh commisioned t***ers, say 250th in-line to the throne and up or something, and give 'em a big bag of silver spoons to spit at the 'savages'. Alternatively he can follow the old colonial way of sitting in a big tent while little Manuel from the local tribe fans him with a big leaf and feeds him grapes

Seriously though, my bro-in-law has just returned from his second tour of Iraq and he lost good mates on both tours, its very sad. The thing is if Harry goes he will just attract extra attention for his regiment from the al-quieda and I think our lads/lasses over there, and their families here, have enough to worry about as it is. We're lucky Steve came back, he made it through plenty of crap including a mortar attack which landed directly on his bed whilst, luckily, he was out of the tent on the phone to his fiance.
Anybody who really thinks he should go has clearly had no close friends or family go and IMHO are talking out of their exhaust-holes so to speak. To think that they could die for some stupid royal publicity stunt is more scandalous than us being there in the first place.

Best place for Harry is in the Army careers office, end of.

In August 1914 Prince Edward joined the Grenadier Guards. Lord Kitchener refused to allow him to serve in the front line. Kitchener told him his presence
would mean an added danger to those around him.
The Prince apparently told him that he had no fear of dying for his country, to
which Kitchener replied I'm not worried about you dying, we can't afford to have you captured by the enemy!

I dont think he should go because of the risk he places on the others, but not because he is less expendable that any other soldier. The army has made the right decision.

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

As it stands, we have young kids coming back in body bags on a weekly basis and countless more coming back with their life shattered - limbs lost etc. But we just don't pay much attention to these, it's only when "someone important" gets killed/wounded that we, the press etc, sit up and take notice and realise that war is truly a diabolical hell and not the armchair version of Counterstrike. Gunshots and explosions rarely kill quickly, dieing in excruciating pain in the desert is not glorious, it's hellish.

Matt - this is one of the best points in the entire debate. A dead soldier might get an inch of column space for a day, a wounded one might get half a line. But to that soldier, his or her life is shattered, and the consequences on a day to day basis are more than most of us could imagine, besides having to deal with all the bureaucracy for a pension.

We seem to have sanitised the bloody and disgusting reality that is happening in Iraq and in Afghanistan on a daily basis. I'm not saying that we should withdraw - not at all, simply that we really do owe our soldiers more. Like recognising that whilst our policiticaians make the most appalling errors of judgement and get away with it because of toadies in the House of Commons, our soldiers do not have the same luxury.

[dizzyblonde]

I think he should go, let the lad know what real life is. Wrapping him in cotton wool cause he's a royal is wrong, its what he did his training for.
Personally i don't think anyone should be there, If he went it may give a reason to pull the whole damn lot out.

My thoughts (as a Challenger 2 Commander) is that he should go. He wants to and it should be allowed. Anybody who thinks the insurgents are just going to stop targeting CVRT's because he isn't going would be wrong.

To these people we are the infidels and we must be lying about him not going.

Plans will already be set and they will just pick a random troop to attack.

I thank god I have a Challenger 2 and not a CVRT. That said one of my boys lost a leg a few weeks back when they attempted to destroy the wagon he was driving.

Currently being repaired the tank not his leg

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Kinvig

What's the point for him in an army career if he's never going to fulfill his training.

'zackly. TBH I think this is the right decision, but how come they didn't see it coming? The question isn't just what to do now, it's how was the mess allowed to happen...

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

I kinda think he should go, and then get shot up - lose a limb or two or his life.

That would be ideal, preferably in the first 5 minutes with nobody else getting hurt...

Originally Posted by carlos

Anybody who really thinks he should go has clearly had no close friends or family go and IMHO are talking out of their exhaust-holes so to speak.

Sorry old boy, can't agree with you there. I have lost two friends and have another one out there now.

War is a filthy, nasty f*cking horrible business and if it takes a dead or disfigured Prince to get our people home then that is a cheap as chips price to pay. In fact for that reason alone he should be on the next plane [/rant]

Send him out - its a slap in the face to all those 'ordinary' soldiers who fought two world wars to keep his family in the lap of luxury!!