Prince Harry: I Killed Taliban Insurgents During Afghanistan Deployments

Prince Harry, 28, like his brother, Prince William, has been an active member of the British military. He is a captain and flies Apache attack helicopters. As part of his military service, Prince Harry been deployed to Afghanistan twice, the most recent tour lasting for 20 weeks, and he has since returned to Britain.

Before he departed Camp Bastion, the largest British base in Afghanistan, Harry fielded questions from reporters that led to the startling revelation that he has killed Taliban insurgents as part of his service in the country. Harry’s role as co-pilot gunner of Apache helicopters has put him directly in the line of fire and his missions in Afghanistan have included casualty evacuation missions, air support for troops fighting Taliban insurgents in Helmand province, reports the Australian Associated Press.

When asked if he had killed any Taliban insurgents during his two Afghan tours, the prince stated, “Yeah, so lots of people have. The squadron's been out here. Everyone's fired a certain amount,” reports BBC. Harry, or Captain Wales as he is known to his other officers, did not mention how many Taliban insurgents he has killed but he did remark that his role as CPG has changed dramatically over the course of five years. During his first deployment, Prince Harry said, “It used to be very much: front seat, you're firing the whole time. Now, yes we fire when we have to, but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything else,” reports CNN.

According to the prince, “Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that means shooting someone who is shooting at them, then we will do it.”

Despite being the third in line for the throne, Prince Harry says he is treated as one of the guys and does not get special treatment. As part of his downtime at Camp Bastion, the prince enjoys group meals in the canteen, plays videogames, shares a room with another comrade, does laundry and goes to the gym.

As for the infamous Las Vegas nude photos, Prince Harry has apologized and said “I let my family down.” He maintains that he expected a level of privacy during his time in Las Vegas, but did not use that as an excuse for his actions.

Speaking about his brother, Prince Harry was excited about becoming an uncle and supports any decision that involves Prince William serving in active combat duty. Speaking about their roles, the prince comes across as humble, stating, as reported by the BBC, “He'd get shot at but, you know, if the guys who are doing the same job as us are being shot at on the ground, I don't think there's anything wrong with us being shot at as well. People back home have issues with that, but we're not special - the guys out there are. Simple as that.”