Prince Harry has quit his job as an Apache helicopter pilot with Britain's Army Air Corps and now looks to spearhead an attempt to bring the Warrior Games, an Olympics-style event for injured military service members, to London.
Kensington Palace announced Friday that Harry has ended his three-plus years as a pilot and will now take a staff officer role in London, where “his responsibilities will include helping to coordinate significant projects and commemorative events involving the Army in London.” He will retain the rank of captain and remain in the Household Cavalry.
"Captain Wales has reached the pinnacle of flying excellence as an Apache pilot, particularly in Afghanistan and, in the process, has proved to be a real inspiration to the many Army Air Corps officers and soldiers who have come to know him so well over the last two years,” Lt. Col. Tom de la Rue, who commanded Harry in the Army Air Corps, said in a statement released by Kensington Palace.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to TODAY.com that Harry will now concentrate on bringing the Warrior Games to his home city. The event was created in 2010 to introduce injured military members from the U.S. and Great Britain to Paralympic competition and encourage them to stay physically active. Prince Harry attended last year’s Warrior Games in Colorado, where 200 participants competed in seven different sports, including archery, swimming and wheelchair basketball.
The spokesperson said that feasibility work was currently being done on funding and logistics for Great Britain to host an International Warrior Games for the first time later this year, using venues from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. A final recommendation will be made at the end of the month.
“Prince Harry was hugely impressed by the Warrior Games when he visited in May last year,’’ the spokesperson said.
The prince spent 3-and-a-half years with the Apache Force between his training and service, becoming a fully operational Apache helicopter pilot in February 2012. He helped provide helicopter support to the International Security and Assistant force and completed a stint in Afghanistan.