Prince Harry on Afghanistan and killing the enemy

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Britain’s Prince Harry, an Apache helicopter pilot serving out of Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, recently spoke to CNN about his service during a 19-week deployment.

During the interview, he made it clear he has no qualms about killing bad guys in support of coalition forces, which include U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan.

“Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground. Now, if that means shooting someone who is shooting at them, then we will do it,” he told CNN.

He also spoke about the changing mission since he first flew down range in 2007. Then, he said, they were constantly on the guns, engaging targets on the ground. Today, they are more of a deterrent and send the bad guys running at the sound of their beating rotors.

He also talked about other hardships as a pilot, including using “piss bags” during long flights.

Known to his crew and fellow servicemen as Capt. Wales, he spends his down time like many other young troops — playing video games with his crew. His senior officers insist he doesn’t receive any preferential treatment, eating in the chow hall and performing his duties the same as any other pilot.

Harry has had multiple combat deployments, spending at least one on the ground as a joint terminal attack controller under the call sign “Widow Six Seven.”

But his notoriety goes beyond his military service. The third in line to the British throne has been the focus of several scandals, including one in 2005 for attending a Halloween party dressed as a Nazi and more recently for playing strip poker in Las Vegas during 2012.