Prince Harry has arrived in Afghanistan for a four month tour, landing in Camp Bastion, Helmand province this morning, where he will be based for the entirety of his tour as an Apache helicopter pilot with the 622 Squadron, Regiment Army Air Corps.
The 27 year-old put the hardships of his recent nude scandal behind him as he embarks on his highly-anticipated second tour of duty after he was pulled off the front lines in 2007 when a media blackout for his own safety was breached by an Australian publication.
A relaxed and upbeat Harry gave a thumbs up as he arrived in the country having flown out of RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last night.
A spokesperson for the Prince told the Telegraph: "[Harry] is very proud to be given the opportunity to serve his country in the job for which he has been trained. He is going through the same range of emotions as any soldier before deployment; pride and anticipation.
"His commander's assessment is that he is fully ready and trained. He will be treated exactly the same as any other pilot while he is there.
"The Queen and the Prince of Wales have been kept informed all the way along and have known for a long time the window in which he would most likely deploy."
Prince Harry at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan soon after landing (Twitter/MOD)
He is believed to have said goodbye to his family earlier this week when he also attended the WellChild Awards and Paralympic Games, with the Prince of Wales reportedly “immensely proud of his son", who he saw at the royal family's private Scottish estate Balmoral over the bank holiday weekend.
Prince Harry meets children at WellChild Awards, London (Twitter/WellChild)
Despite being a member of the royal family, the prince has made it clear he won't shy away from action with a source confirming that he will be going after Afghan insurgents during operations as an Apache pilot, with his unit having the greatest “kill rate” in the army, averaging two Taliban kills a week.
His spokesman explained: "He is a soldier so soldiers do what they are required to do
"He has made no secret of the fact that, like any soldier, he wants to fight in theatre. When he entered the Army Air Corps two and a half years ago it gave him an opportunity to train in a role that could allow him to do that.
"He considers himself first and foremost to be a soldier and he is doing the most natural thing in the world to be going there."
Prince Harry's First Tour Of Afghanistan
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