Prince Harry Will Quit Army if He Can't Join the Boys in Iraq

April 24, 2006 — -- Flame-haired Prince Harry doesn't care about inheriting the throne. He wants to go to war.

Now that the prince's grueling stint at Sandhurst Military Academy has ended, he's willing to put his life on the line. The military, however, may not want that added risk, even if his royal relatives have taken up arms to defend Britain in the past.

Harry joined the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry, one of the army's oldest and most-prestigious military units. It seemed a perfect fit for a royal prince with plenty of blue blood -- then again, not such a great match if the regiment deploys to Iraq, especially in the kidnap-happy zones there.

Officer and Gentleman

War doesn't scare Harry. Harry has reportedly said that he will resign from the army if he is held out of combat zones. In the fall, around the time of his 21st birthday, he told the media that he wanted to fight on the front lines.

"There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my a-- back home while my boys are out fighting for their country," he said.

Sandhurst is the British equivalent of West Point, and training there lasts 44 weeks. This month, Harry will become a second lieutenant, follow a specialized training, and then be eligible to be shipped off to war.

His hopes, however, may be dashed.

And for once, Harry's party-boy antics aren't the reason he's not getting his wishes. The third in line to the throne -- best-known for wild parties, poor costume choices, and slacking off at school -- cleaned up his act during the last year.

No bad publicity, no swing fetes with the paparazzi, and no wild-hair moments.

The queen must be proud of her grandson's resolve and his full embrace of the rigors of the military. The royal family supposedly told the army's top brass that it could tap Harry to lead a squadron, wherever that might be.

Saving Officer Wales

The British Ministry of Defense realizes that Harry wants to serve "his country as an operational soldier," but seems to hem and haw about whether it will send the spare to fight.

"The future operational requirements for Iraq have yet to be confirmed beyond May 1, 2006, and so no specific units have been earmarked for operational deployment," according to a British defense statement.

OK, so that reads like maybe Harry's unit could go, but then maybe not. It's still fuzzy even though one Blues and Royals squadron looks as if it's headed to Afghanistan soon, so Iraq could well be a possibility.

The statement then adds, "Units deploying to theatres are not selected on the basis of members (personalities) of that unit."

That means that regardless of whether Harry is in the unit, he will ship out with the rest of them. If so, news reports say it could take place in spring 2007.

The military has time until then, although the problem will likely resurface. Harry's brother, William, has also enrolled at Sandhurst and expressed interest in heading to the war zone. He's No. 2 in line to the throne, so his chances are super slim.

Don't pack your bags just yet, Harry.

The ministry of defense has said in the past that "Harry's overt presence might attract additional attention that could lead to an exponential rise in the potential risk to those he commands or himself." If that happened, then his commanding officer would make the call.

Following a Family Tradition

Harry is just trying to follow family tradition.

The last royal to see action during war was Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle. The prince flew a helicopter in the Falkland Islands conflict against Argentina in 1982. Prince Charles trained to become a pilot with the Royal Air Force and also served in the Royal Navy, but never served in conflict. Harry's grandfather, meanwhile, served in the navy and fought during World War II.

So what's Harry to do?

Because the prince opted out of college, he's pretty much stuck. He based his choice on the Blues and Royals because he knew the unit saw lots of action around the world with lots of reconnaissance missions.

What he may have overlooked is that within the Household Cavalry, there's the "mounted regiment," which performs ceremonial duties.

Everyone knows how much he loves to ride horses. That really doesn't sound like much action, but at least he's off the hook and won't get stuck guarding the queen, donning a plumed helmet.