Prince Harry has taken fire from the Taliban multiple times during his current tour in Afghanistan, a military source told Richard White of The Sun.
Capt. Harry Wales, 28, has been on operational duty in the Helmand Province for more than a month as an attack helicopter co-pilot and gunner responsible for firing the Apache's wing-mounted aerial rockets, Hellfire laser-guided missiles and 30mm machine gun.
Harry is part of a four-man team on standby 24 hours a day to take to the air and either destroy the enemy or provide cover for other aircraft.
White notes that the Apache's "four-blade, twin-engine attack chopper’s Hellfire rockets can wipe out an area — including armour — the size of eight football pitches."
From The Sun:
“He can be sat in a deckchair for hours then scrambled immediately," the military source said. "When in the air his role is diverse. This is no game and Harry is on the frontline of a terrifying war. ... He’s in the thick of it and is one of the lads ... and if people think flying an Apache in a war zone is privileged child’s play they’re on another planet.”
In May 2007 Harry was prevented from beginning a six-month deployment in Iraq because the British military deemed the risks to his safety were too great.
In 2008 Harry served in Helmand for 10 weeks as an air traffic controller, but his deployment was cut short after it was made public.
He is currently one of 100 members of the 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps stationed at Camp Bastion, which was attacked by insurgents last month.
SEE ALSO: This Massive Helicopter Has Handled US Air Drops For 50 Years >
Please follow Military & Defense on Twitter and Facebook.