You should have said Prince Charles is a 'Royal Greenie'

It's always interesting how different people
interpret the same phenomenon in very
different ways. An interpretation influenced
by their background, training, prior experiences,
and personal values.

Here we have Prince Harry making a comment from
his own personal life experience regarding
the military and the positivity of
what he (and others he associated
with) gained. He wished this valuable experience
for other young people in the UK.

Prince Harry is about to leave the military and
wants to go to Africa and learn about conservation
in which he's interested. I suspect that his father
would be very pleased with this move and would support
his son's actions.

Prince Harry by the sound of it was merely talking
from what he had experienced.

However, I think that most of us would agree his military
experience must have had a good influence on him.
I recall a few years ago pictures of him naked in a Las Vegas hotel.
Now, wanting to go to Africa and learn about conservation
is a far cry from Vegas. Whatever's brought about the
change in him - can't be a bad thing, and perhaps
it would not be a bad idea to give youngsters who prefer
living on the dole to working - a push in the right direction.
It worked for a Prince.

Hi there PAUL1405...

To be fair Paul, I don't believe that Harry was advocating the introduction of National Service for anyone in Oz ? Furthermore, I don't believe he sought to be taken too literally either, rather more of a 'throw away line' ? Like you might see a bunch of youths engaging in misbehaviour or loutish activity in the street. You'll often hear people say '...what they need is six months in the Army to teach them some discipline...' ?

If that person were to be sat down and asked, if their remark was truly meant ? I believe many would simply laugh it off, and say '... of course not...' but adding, '...they do need some discipline nevertheless...' ?

Paul, I do recognise that you're totally opposed to the concept of National (Army) Service in principle. In fact you intractably oppose any military intervention of any sort, other than to repel an enemy attempting to invade Australia. And I respect you for that, as you're a legitimate Conscience Objector.

However, what are your thoughts on a National Service initiative, of a type designed to inculcate some of the necessary personal virtues that hitherto fell within the aegis of the Army ? I'm not even sure of an appropriate model to be honest with you ?

Teach some of these young men and women how to make better choices with their lives ? Job (application) skills, grooming and hygiene, even some basic speaking skills. Tightly constricted by time and money; what would be the duration - who'd staff such a 'National Service' scheme ? Could discipline become part of the strategy ? Those youngsters who thwarted the concept entirely, what could be done with them ? Paul, some mighty tough questions and issues, I reckon ? What are your thoughts please mate ?

OTB Said;
(and through family reunion bring in their claimed relatives to sit back as well).

Now that DNA tests are so much cheaper these days, family reunion
applications should be checked with DNA tests.
If they object, then no visa.

O Sung Wu, there is in Sydney an organisation that operates a "teach them some discipline"
courses on a property outside of Sydney. There was a doco on it on ABC
a year or so ago. The parents of some of the youths said it was successful.
I think there was a failure on the doco, but on the whole it did the job.
Perhaps more government funding of such organisations would save a lot of doles.

Hello there FOXY...

I couldn't agree with you more. Harry when younger did not enjoy a particularly good reputation for being steady, reliable, moreover a credit to the royals. Until he hit Sandhurst, and everything changed including for Capt. WINDSOR who by all accounts acquitted himself quietly adequately in Afghanistan during his two tours of duty, as an Apache (Attack) Helicopter Pilot. A rotor wing, weapons platform, with a particularly complex name to fly effectively.

So I'd certainly like to have his abilities, his brains, his obvious aptitude to manage such a formidable weapons platform. And, fly the thing all at the same time ? It matters naught that he's a Prince, and everyone around him needs to respectfully genuflect every time he nears. Flying the Apache, nobody holds your hand, you risk exactly the same risks of surface to air RPG's or a heavy calibre machine gun fire, as any other Army pilot in a combat zone. If he's hit, he bleeds, he feels pain, fear, the need to take a piss, and try to control his nerves during a 'contact'...It matter little he's a prince or a pauper ? His critics seem to forget all that stuff.

Actually, I often wonder how well his critics and detractors would perform, if they were to be placed in exactly the same set of circumstances, when time literally 'stands still' that Capt. WINDSOR had endured during the invariable 'contacts' ? Coping with your 'tunnel vision' where your eyes ONLY see tracer rounds heading up at you to the utter exclusion to everything else ?

G'day there BAZZ...

That experiment conducted just out of Sydney sounds like it's worth looking at ? I've seen (TV) similar operations conducted in the US and GB along similar lines. The US scheme was conducted on a Ranch well away from any cities, and that itself didn't go down very well ? Many of the young people needed access to their smokes, and smoking was generally prohibited, so there was a lot of arguments even a threatened assault if the staff didn't return this young blokes cigarettes ?

Interestingly the British model was based on the old 1950's Army, National Services scheme. An old Army base was deployed, the staff were all retired Army personnel, the 'recruits' were remanded there by the judiciary from teach of the main towns in and around Greater Manchester, I think ? They were mandated to remain there for the entire three months. A case of go there, or go to gaol ?

How successfully was it ? Well not all that good by some accounts ? Some of them really played havoc while there, and ultimately ended up serving a much longer sentence in gaol, in any case ? What was the point ?