Prince Harry
After initial speculation several days ago, Prince Harry has confirmed that he will be leaving the army after a 10 year career in which he experienced two tours of Afghanistan. The Times, Telegraph, Mail and BBC website report that Prince Harry is looking forward to a "new chapter" in his life after he departs in June after a four-week secondment to the Australian Defence Force, starting in April.
He said:
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the chance to do some very challenging jobs and have met many fantastic people in the process. From learning the hard way to stay onside with my Colour Sergeant at Sandhurst, to the incredible people I served with during two tours in Afghanistan, the experiences I have had over the last 10 years will stay with me for the rest of my life.” General Sir Nicholas Carter, Chief of the General Staff, is quoted praising Harry’s contribution and referencing that he insisted on being treated the same as his peers.
Following on from the news of Prince Harry’s departure from the Army, Colonel Ben Farrell has written a short opinion article on page three of Daily Telegraph about how soldiers have “loads to offer in civilian life”. Col Farrell says that “They have an innate understanding of the purpose of an organisation, strong analytical skills and the ability to get to the heart of an issue, combined with commitment, energy and an ability to adapt. Above all else, given the nature of the military, they have highly developed interpersonal skills.
UK anti-ISIL fighters
The Evening Standard has reported that an eight-strong team of former British Army soldiers is preparing to leave Britainto join the fight against ISIL in Syria. The Sun and The Times follow up the article reporting on it in this morning’s papers.
The articles report that the team is training to fight as a single volunteer unit alongside the Kurdish militias on the front line in northern Syria. Social media channels host images of the group posing in combat fatigues and clutching high powered assault rifles on a training exercise in Europe.
Air strikes against ISIL
The Daily Mirror has reported on the latest RAF air strikes on ISIL over Iraq. The piece on page two of today’s paper highlights that Tornado pilots bombed ISIL positions neat the Kurdish city of Sinjar. The article references David Cameron’s comments yesterday that the three schoolgirls who went to Syria to join ISIL may face arrest if they return to the UK.
We publish regular updates on the RAF air strikes on our website including video footage of the strikes by Tornado and Reaper aircraft.
Image of the day
![More than 80 Royal Marines from 40 Commando based in Taunton, supported by troops and hardware from 29 Commando Royal Artillery, 24 Commando Royal Engineers, King’s Royal Hussars and Royal Dragoon Guards, came ashore in a dramatic display that attracted the attention of dogwalkers and beachgoers alike. The exercise – Browndown Battle II – started nearly 24 hours earlier in the waters south of the Isle of Wight with Royal Navy flagship HMS Bulwark at the helm, supported by HMS Argyll and RFA Black Rover. Ships were attacked by ‘enemy’ aircraft and bombarded their coastline with high explosive shells from HMS Argyll’s 4.5” gun before the Task Group moved closer to the Hampshire coastline. Browndown Battle II was staged as part of the Advanced Command and Staff Course for over 350 UK and international military students, for them to experience and evaluate the breadth of the Royal Navy’s capabilities within a joint operational environment. [Picture: Crown Copyright]](https://modmedia.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/142/2015/03/POD17.jpg)