Prince Harry is set to be honoured at the 21st annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards ceremony taking place in Beverly Hills on January 19, 2024, hosted by actor and qualified pilot, John Travolta.
The Duke of Sussex is one of four people who will be inducted and recognised for their contributions to aviation and aerospace.
But what did Prince Harry actually do in the military?
WATCH NOW: Prince Harry Leaving Armed Forces After 10 Years of Service. Article continues after video.
Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years.
He had three years of flight training missions in the US, UK, and Australia, as well as combat missions in Afghanistan, serving as a helicopter pilot.
In 2010, Prince Harry was awarded his Flying Wings following his eight-month, 220-hour course with the Army Aviation Center. It was during this time he learnt to fly the Firefly fixed-wing aircraft and the Squirrel helicopter.
Where did Prince Harry’s military career start?
In September 2004, Prince Harry passed his Regular Commissions Board (RBC) which allowed him to train in Sandhurst. The basis of the RBC is so senior Army assessors can scout those best suited for training. He then went on to complete a period of work experience before entering The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2005. This was the beginning of his training as an Officer Cadet. He was later known as Officer Cadet Wales during a 44-week training course in Camberley, Surrey. He completed the course and was commissioned as an Army Officer on April 12, 2006.
Prince Harry joined the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment of the British Army, on May 8, 2006. He then reported to The Armour Centre at Bovington in Dorset where he began the Troop Leaders’ Course which he completed in October 2006. He then rejoined his regiment in Windsor where he was responsible for a troop consisting of 11 soldiers and four vehicles.
Prince Harry then went on to serve in the British Army in Helmand, Afghanistan. On February 28, 2008, The Ministry of Defence confirmed that he had been serving for more than two months. He was then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with the Blues and Royal on April 13, 2008.
What did Prince Harry do in the military?
Prince Harry’s career then moved to the Amry Air Corps. In December 2008, he passed his Army Air Corps ‘Grading’ and interview, allowing him to begin his training. He then became an Army Air Corps Pilot in January 2009. Prince Harry completed the Army Pilots Course and was selected to train on the Apache Attack Helicopter. At this time, he also received his provisional wings from his father, Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
Prince Harry has undertaken two operational tours of Afghanistan. The first was the aforementioned time spent serving in Afghanistan in 2007/08 where he was a Forward Air Controller. Following this, he also served as an Apache Pilot between September 2012 and January 2013. He later qualified as an Apache Aircraft Commander in July 2013, marking the culmination of his experiences as a member of the Apache aircrew.
In April 2011, in recognition of his time served in the Armed Forces, Prince Harry was promoted to the rank of Captain. At this time, he was also awarded his Apache Badge, marking the completion of an eight-month Apache Conversion to Type Course. But he didn’t stop there…
In October 2011, now known as Captain Harry Wales, Prince Harry visited the United States of America and learnt to operate the aircraft and its weapons, therefore completing the final elements of the Apache Conversion to Role course. He later qualified as a co-pilot gunner in February 2012 and was posted to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. In September 2012, he was deployed to Afghanistan. He was in Afghanistan for four months working as part of the Joint Aviation Group providing helicopter support to Afghan forces and the International Security Assistance Force.
Does Prince Harry still have his military titles?
Prince Harry was stripped of his three honourary titles in March 2020. He held the titles Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Honington and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command, however after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their senior royal roles, the titles reverted to the crown.
