Tri-Service

Prince Harry "Tremendously Looking Forward" to Special Forces Training

Prince Harry says he's "tremendously looking forward" to a placement with the Australian Army which will see him go on patrol with Aboriginal soldiers and train with the country's special forces.

Captain Wales' four-week deployment with the Australian Defence Force is to be one of his final roles within the Armed Forces.

The Prince announced he will complete his operational services in June, but not before taking part in the training.

On Monday he will lead a tribute to the Australia's war dead before reporting for duty later that morning.

The ADF said they want to provide Prince Harry with an "authentic military experience", adding:

"Defence's focus for this attachment is to provide Captain Wales with an authentic military experience in the Australian army that builds on his previous experience with coalition forces and complements his work with wounded, injured and ill service personnel."

The Prince has previous experience working with Australian soldiers during his time in Afghanistan, as well as on a charity trek to the South Pole.

"Prince Harry is tremendously looking forward to starting his four week attachment with the ADF," he said.

"It has been an opportunity he has been keen to explore for a couple of years now and is delighted to be able to do it before completing his military service with the British Armed Forces later this year.

"Prince Harry has trained and served alongside Australian armed forces on operational tours to Afghanistan; he has met them during the Invictus Games; and even trekked to the South Pole with a couple of Australian soldiers.

"Those experiences reinforced the huge admiration and respect he already had for Australian servicemen and women and has stoked his enthusiasm even more to build on those relationships in the next four weeks.

"He knows he will learn a huge amount from his Australian colleagues during this attachment and he is grateful to the ADF for producing such a varied and interesting programme for him."

Body image courtesy of Australian Government Department of Defence via Wikimedia Commons.