E-Paper
Prince William too on Afghan mission
Just days after Prince Harry returned to Britain after a ten-week stint in Afghanistan, his elder brother has flown a secret mission into the country to meet frontline troops.
Just days after Prince Harry returned to Britain after a ten-week stint with the Royal Army in Afghanistan, his elder brother Prince William has flown a secret mission into the country to meet frontline troops fighting against the Taliban.
The second-in-line to the British throne on Monday landed a giant C-17 Globemaster military jet at an under-fire coalition air base in Kandahar where he met service personnel for over three hours, before finally returning to the UK later that afternoon.
“The purpose of the trip was for Prince Willam to familiarise himself with operations of the Royal Air Force in a war zone. The Prince of Wales and the Queen also gave their consent to the trip,” a Clarence House spokesperson told the British media.
During his trip, Prince William — known as Flying Officer Wales — experienced first-hand some of the military techniques he had been learning in training. He also saw how the Royal Air Force’s massive air bridge works to supply and arm 8,000 British troops serving in Afghanistan.
The 25-year-old prince’s visit came a month after he was presented with his pilot’s “wings” by Prince Charles at a graduation ceremony. He is coming to the end of a four-month attachment with the RAF that taught him about the service’s ethos, traditions and military role.
Last month, Prince Harry returned home after becoming the first member of the royal family to serve on the military frontline in Afghanistan. He was in Helmand Province for ten weeks.
