The top rule among comrades who were deployed together: they only talk about it if it isn’t necessary for EVERYONE.
Why breaks Prince Harry (38) this iron oath of veterans? The trained pilot has been to Afghanistan twice for ISAF operations. An enormous risk a good ten years ago, also for all other soldiers in the royal environment. As a celebrity, he was the target of attacks, and so were his comrades. They protected their prince. Harry came back unharmed, hailed as a captain and a war hero.
Now a chapter in his book “Spare” (German title “Reserve”, officially published on January 10) is causing a stir in the military.
The pictures of his time in action were carefully selected and showed Prince Harry as a hero. The public did not see the security logistics behind it
As reported by several British newspapers that already have the more than 500-page book, Harry writes about his “Bodycount” balance sheet. With this he names the number of enemies he has killed. He killed 25 Taliban terrorists!
The prince writes: “It is a number that neither satisfies me nor makes me uncomfortable.” For him, the eliminated enemies were a kind of “chess pieces” that fall off the board…
bang! Writing something like this is met with incomprehension and even anger from high-ranking military officers and former comrades.
Former Army Colonel Richard Kemp (63) rages: “Such statements are a betrayal of the comrades who fought at his side.”
Ex-Colonel Richard Kemp finds Harry’s statements in the book inappropriate
The ex-soldier is also referring to the fact that during Harry’s second mission in 2012, the security measures were withdrawn by the special forces of the royal family and soldiers at Harry’s side were given even more responsibility for the prince.
Kemp also points out the unnecessary dangers Harry takes in such statements: “He’s shooting himself in the foot with it. It might irritate those who still want revenge on him.”
Ben McBean lost an arm and a leg in action. The ex-soldier wrote to Harry: “I love you. But you should shut up”
After his combat missions, the prince himself campaigned intensively for veterans and their concerns and in 2014 he also initiated the Paralympic event of the “Invictus Games” for war-disabled athletes worldwide. But there is also sharp criticism of his revelations.
Ben McBean, 34, a former elite soldier in the Royal Marines, lost an arm and leg while serving in Afghanistan. Harry and he know each other from the sporting events. Captioning a photo of the two together, the veteran wrote: “I love you but you should shut up. One wonders what people are around him. If they were good people, they would have stopped him.”
Together with his wife Meghan, Prince Harry visited Düsseldorf last year to prepare for the upcoming “Invictus Games” this year
A clear dig at Harry’s environment and also Megan (41). Another ex-officer, former Colonel Bob Stewart, 72, said Harry’s statements were dangerous in many ways: “It’s sad to see someone with every opportunity so intent on destroying himself and the monarchy .”
Statements by politicians also make it clear what kind of fuel the described situations from the deployment time can still have. A Conservative MP told the Daily Mail: “His behavior is insane. He messes everything up.”
