Prince Harry 'in training for Iraq'
Prince Harry trains in a Spartan armoured vehicle
Prince Harry is joining members of his regiment on a training course that prepares soldiers for serving in Iraq, it has been reported.
The royal Army officer, a member of the Blues and Royals, will undergo a two-day course with the Operational Training and Advisory Group (Optag).
Optag has prepared thousands of soldiers for duty in Iraq with training given in areas such as cultural awareness, patrolling techniques, mines awareness, managing crowds and basic language skills.
An Army insider told the News of the World that the training was only for troops who had been given the "green light'' to be deployed.
"This training is exclusively for troops given the green light for Iraq. They don't waste time, money and manpower on anyone else,'' the insider said.
But Clarence House said a final decision had not been made over whether Harry would be sent to the war-torn country.
A spokesman said: "He is undergoing this training, but no decision has been made about deployment.''
The Ministry of Defence also said plans had yet to be finalised on the deployment of the Blues and Royals to Iraq.
An MoD spokeswoman said: "There has not really been any decision made about the regiment as a whole and which bits of the regiment.
"It could be that certain elements of the regiment go, but not all of them.''
Last year, 22-year-old Harry completed a four-and-a-half month training course at Bovington Camp in Dorset to become an Armoured Reconnaissance Troop Leader.
Harry, a cornet (Second Lieutenant) in the Blues and Royals, was said to be hoping to use his new skills on the front line if his squadron was deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq.
But reports have suggested that the Army is reluctant to send Harry into a war zone.
news.aol.co.uk
Prince Harry trains in a Spartan armoured vehicle
Prince Harry is joining members of his regiment on a training course that prepares soldiers for serving in Iraq, it has been reported.
The royal Army officer, a member of the Blues and Royals, will undergo a two-day course with the Operational Training and Advisory Group (Optag).
Optag has prepared thousands of soldiers for duty in Iraq with training given in areas such as cultural awareness, patrolling techniques, mines awareness, managing crowds and basic language skills.
An Army insider told the News of the World that the training was only for troops who had been given the "green light'' to be deployed.
"This training is exclusively for troops given the green light for Iraq. They don't waste time, money and manpower on anyone else,'' the insider said.
But Clarence House said a final decision had not been made over whether Harry would be sent to the war-torn country.
A spokesman said: "He is undergoing this training, but no decision has been made about deployment.''
The Ministry of Defence also said plans had yet to be finalised on the deployment of the Blues and Royals to Iraq.
An MoD spokeswoman said: "There has not really been any decision made about the regiment as a whole and which bits of the regiment.
"It could be that certain elements of the regiment go, but not all of them.''
Last year, 22-year-old Harry completed a four-and-a-half month training course at Bovington Camp in Dorset to become an Armoured Reconnaissance Troop Leader.
Harry, a cornet (Second Lieutenant) in the Blues and Royals, was said to be hoping to use his new skills on the front line if his squadron was deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq.
But reports have suggested that the Army is reluctant to send Harry into a war zone.
news.aol.co.uk
