"Great to be back": Prince Harry arrives back in the UK after second tour of duty ... - Mirror.co.uk

Prince Harry arrived back in the UK after his tour of duty in Afghanistan and said: "It's great to be back".

The 28-year-old Apache co-pilot gunner has been on post-deployment "decompression" at a British military base, thought to be in Cyprus, since leaving war-torn Helmand Province on Monday evening.

After landing at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on a regular personnel flight, he said: "I'm just thrilled to be back, and a bit of blue sky in Cyprus, a bit of decompression, some comedy, and back to the snow,

"So the four-and-a-half months has gone really quickly, but I'm very, very happy to be back."

Earlier this week the prince has revealed that he took Taliban fighters "out of the game" from the cockpit of Apache attack helicopters and admitted he "let himself down" by romping naked in Las Vegas just weeks before his deployment.

Asked about the Taliban comments, he replied: "I think for the thousands of guys that are on operations at the moment, we are continuing, essentially, to try and do a job.

"A job for ourselves, a job for the guys left and right of us, and from my point of view, especially for the guys on the ground.

"We are supporting the Afghan people, supporting the Afghan army. The way that things are going are fantastic - I suppose that sounds a typical MoD/Army answer, but it's true.

"The difference between 2006 and now is absolutely fantastic.

"You get asked to do things that you would expect to do wearing this uniform, and it's a simple as that really."

Harry did not go with the rest of his 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, to their headquarters in Wattisham in Suffolk.

St James's Palace said he left Brize Norton privately, but did not comment on where he was headed.

Harry said being in Afghanistan gave him "life experiences that you get nowhere else".

He revealed he does not have any particular plans for the coming year, but he would like to dedicate more time to royal duties and charitable causes.

Asked what 2013 had in store, he said: "I really don't know.

"The army will have an idea, I presume, and whatever that is, I will do.

"Given the opportunity I'd like to take on more royal stuff, to the extent that pre-deployment has been very very busy.

"Hopefully there will be a few gaps that open up, and as long as I stay current flying and continue with the job, then I'll be able to pay some more attention to the charities and stuff like that."