PRINCE HARRY, A WARFIGHTER WITH A MISSION TO HELP HIS WARFIGHTER FAMILY: THE NEEDS OF WARFIGHTERS ARE UNIVERSAL- 1. Needs a Battle Buddy 2. Needs a mission Prince Harry recalls horrors of war as he explains inspiration for Invictus Games- *He revealed horrendous sights witnessed during two tours of Afghanistan *Recalled seeing children struck by roadside bombs and wounded soldiers *He said harrowing experiences were inspiration behind next months Games *Prince Harry said that sport is surely the best way to support recovery By Press Association and Stephanie Linning Published: 22:01 EST, 9 August 2014 Prince Harry has revealed the horrendous sights he witnessed during his two tours of Afghanistan and explained that the harrowing experience was his inspiration for launching the Invictus Games. The Royal, a Captain in the Army, regularly flew injured personnel and civilians to the hospital at the Camp Bastion military base during his second tour of the country when he served as an Apache helicopter pilot. He told how he could close his eyes and hundreds of images would flash through his mind - among them memories of children struck by roadside bombs and of wounded soldiers lying on the battlefield. Writing in the Sunday Times, he said the question of how to move on from the painful memories - and injuries - of war was one that he had often considered. And shared that he thinks sport might be the answer. The 29-year-olds interest in using sport to support the recovery of those wounded in war led him to launch the Invictus Games. The Games, which will be held next month at Londons Olympic Park, aim to showcase the bravery, determination and sporting prowess of more than 400 injured service men and women from 14 countries. In his personal tribute to the injured, the fourth in line to the throne recalled: I had never seen it first-hand. By it I mean the injuries that were being sustained largely due to improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Loss of life is as tragic and devastating as it gets, but to see young lads - much younger than me - wrapped in plastic and missing limbs, with hundreds of tubes coming out of them, was something I never prepared myself for. The Prince explained that the full horror of the war struck him on his first tour to Afghanistan in 2008, when he boarded a plane alongside three severely injured British soldiers and the coffin of a Danish serviceman - while he and many others were flying home, unhurt, to their loved ones. He returned to the country to serve between 2012 and 2013. In the moving piece, he recalled the nights he spent lying in bed as the walls shook with gunfire, and described seeing civilians, some of them children, who had been hit by roadside bombs. The army captain regularly flew injured personnel and civilians to the hospital at the Camp Bastion military base during his second tour of the country from 2012 to 2013 when he served as an Apache helicopter pilot In his role as a pilot the Prince, who took up a managerial office-based job in the Army this year, said the memory of having to use the code Op vampire to let the medical team know the casualty they had on board would require a lot of blood still sends shivers down his spine. And, the Prince, said his experience is not unusual. He said: Many of us who have been on operations can close our eyes at any point now and hundreds of images will flash through our minds, a visual diary of experiences. But he said that he was fortunate not to have seen a friend fatally struck on the battlefield. The staggering question of how people cope with the trauma of war, especially those left without limbs, was one the Royal said played on his mind, and eventually led him to setting up the Invictus Games, an international sporting competition for injured troops. He was inspired by a visit to a similar event, the Warrior Games in America, where Harry said he was moved by the efforts and achievements of amputees and others left with the scars of war. The Prince, whose Royal Foundation charity officially supports the event, said money raised can only go so far and the event is more about helping to redefine individuals. In an appeal to the public to support the Games, Harry said it was an opportunity to thank those who have served their country, and give them a rousing reception in the Olympic park. Today it emerged that the Prince thinks his Army job is the best in the world and he could want to do it for the next 25 years. According to the Sunday People, the Royal told colleagues that he would like to stay in the Army until he can draw his pension, which will be when he is 55. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: We dont make any interpretation or comment on any private conversations members of the royal family have during their working day - See more at: georgianewsday/news/regional/278195-prince-harry-recalls-horrors-of-war-as-he-explains-inspiration-for-invictus-games.html#sthash.yjt8HfWe.dpuf
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 00:50:52 +0000