The UK's Prince Harry has been serving on the frontline
Written on 1:15 PM by yahoo
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The UK's Prince Harry has been serving on the frontline in Afghanistan and seen combat, the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed Thursday.
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Prince Harry on patrol in the deserted town of Garmisir, Afghanistan.
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He was deployed 10 weeks ago and his fellow soldiers were sworn to secrecy.
The prince's status is currently being reviewed, the Ministry of Defense said.
Harry is third in line to the British throne and serves with the Blues and Royals.
His main role has been as a member of a group called Joint Tactical Air Control, or JTAC.
"As far as I'm concerned I'm out here as a normal JTAC on the ground and not as Prince Harry" he said.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "The whole of Britain will be proud of the outstanding service he is giving. For the last 10 weeks, he has joined the thousands of members of the British Armed Forces who have served with such distinction in difficult circumstances in Afghanistan since 2001."
In a pre-deployment interview with the British Press Association, he said: "If I'm wanted, if I'm needed, then I will serve my country as I signed up to do."
The head of the British Army, Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt, said Harry's deployment had been kept secret after striking an agreement with the media. Video Watch Prince Harry on the front lines in Afghanistan »
British and international media -- including CNN -- had agreed not to report Harry's deployment because of security concerns for him and his unit. The military confirmed the operation after a U.S. Web site broke the news blackout.
Dannatt said: "What the last two months have shown is that it is perfectly possible for Prince Harry to be employed just the same as other Army officers of his rank and experience. Video Watch how a top secret operation deployed Prince Harry »
"His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary. He has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his Battlegroup.
"In common with all of his generation in the army today, he is a credit to the nation."
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Dannatt added that he and senior commanders will now be reviewing Harry's deployment.
Last year, the military ruled Harry could not be sent to Iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk.
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