The United Kingdom's Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that Prince Harry, third in line for the British throne, is serving in Afghanistan and has seen combat since being secretly deployed some ten weeks ago.
Formally known as Prince Henry of Wales, Harry is serving as a junior officer in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry of the British Army. Specifically, Harry is serving in a division called the Joint Tactical Air Control (JTAC) and was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led task force combating the remnants of the Taliban.
Harry is currently in Afghanistan but his deployment was purposely kept confidential by the British military and several news organizations that signed a black-out agreement with the media to protect the security of the prince and his fellow soldiers.
Chief of the Army General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt spoke with CNN about Harry's secret deployment, telling reporters, "What the last two months have shown is that it is perfectly possible for Prince Harry to be employed just the same as other Army officers of his rank and experience."
"In deciding to deploy him to Afghanistan, it was my judgment that with an understanding with the media not to broadcast his whereabouts, the risk in doing was manageable," Dannatt added.
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