(CNN) -- Britain's Prince Harry has acknowledged that he killed Taliban insurgents on his latest tour of duty in Afghanistan as a crew member of an Apache attack helicopter.
Harry has been serving for four months as a co-pilot gunner (CPG) in southern Helmand province -- considered a Taliban heartland -- and flew on scores of missions with the trigger to rockets, missiles and a 30mm cannon at his fingertips.
No one is saying how many insurgents Harry might have killed but toward the end of his deployment, the 28-year-old, known to his comrades as Captain Wales, shared some of his feelings about combat with reporters while on duty in the massive military base known as Camp Bastion. He said it was sometimes justified to "take a life to save a life. That's what we revolve around, I suppose."
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Prince Harry walks around a military base in Helmand province on his recent tour of duty in Afghanistan. His deployment meant he could step back from the public eye and live in contrast to his privileged upbringing. Princess Diana, from left, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles gather for the commemorations of VJ Day on August 19, 1995, in London. Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his son Prince Harry stand for the anthems during the Wales versus Scotland game in Cardiff, Wales, on February 17, 1996. Left to right: Princes William, Harry and their father Prince Charles wait in front of the Westminster Abbey in London after the funeral ceremony of Diana Princess of Wales on September 6, 1997. Prince Harry stands in the Drawing School on May 12, 2003, between two of the works he completed while studying at Eton College. His work involves a mixture of painting and printing, and reflects his habit of using animals as his starting point. Prince Harry takes part in the Wall Game at Eton College in March 2003. The youngest son of the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry makes a slice of toast in his house kitchen situated in the house library, which is the preserve of the senior House prefects, in March 2003 at Eton College. Britain's Prince Harry, right, and his father The Prince Of Wales play polo for The BFF/Highgrove Team in a match for The Indian Cavalry Polo Trophy in Tidworth, England, on July 12, 2003. Prince Harry paints in Eton College's new Drawing Room on May 12, 2003. A man reads the New York Post newspaper on January 13, 2005, featuring the "Royal Nazi" headline about Prince Harry who attended a fancy dress party wearing a khaki uniform with an armband emblazoned with a swastika. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry share a joke as they watch Prince Charles and his bride Camilla Duchess of Cornwall leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England, following their marriage blessing on April 9, 2005. Prince Harry takes part in the Trooping Of New Colours alongside his fellow officer cadets at the Royal Military Academy on June 21, 2005, in Sandhurst, England. Prince Harry sitting below the turret of his Spartan armored vehicle as he communicates with other units by radio, in the desert in Helmand province in Southern Afghanistan, on February 20, 2008. The 23-year-old, an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, secretly served for several weeks in the volatile southern province of Helmand. Prince Harry skis with the Walking with the Wounded team, who have gathered on the island of Spitsbergen, Norway -- situated between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole -- for their last days of preparation before setting off to the North Pole by foot on March 29, 2011. Prince Harry climbs on board a specially decorated golf buggy as he goes on a tour of Harbour Island in Nassau, Bahamas, on March 4, 2012. The Prince was visiting the Bahamas as part of a Diamond Jubilee tour as a representative of Queen Elizabeth II. Left to right: Carole Coe, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips enjoy the atmosphere as they watch track cycling at the Velodrome on August 7, 2012 at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Prince Harry was deployed to Afghanistan as an Army helicopter pilot, the UK military announced on September 7, 2012. Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years HIDE CAPTION << < 
Princess Diana, from left, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles gather for the commemorations of VJ Day on August 19, 1995, in London. 
Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his son Prince Harry stand for the anthems during the Wales versus Scotland game in Cardiff, Wales, on February 17, 1996. 
Left to right: Princes William, Harry and their father Prince Charles wait in front of the Westminster Abbey in London after the funeral ceremony of Diana Princess of Wales on September 6, 1997. 
Prince Harry stands in the Drawing School on May 12, 2003, between two of the works he completed while studying at Eton College. His work involves a mixture of painting and printing, and reflects his habit of using animals as his starting point. 
Prince Harry takes part in the Wall Game at Eton College in March 2003. 
The youngest son of the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry makes a slice of toast in his house kitchen situated in the house library, which is the preserve of the senior House prefects, in March 2003 at Eton College. 
Britain's Prince Harry, right, and his father The Prince Of Wales play polo for The BFF/Highgrove Team in a match for The Indian Cavalry Polo Trophy in Tidworth, England, on July 12, 2003. 
Prince Harry paints in Eton College's new Drawing Room on May 12, 2003. 
A man reads the New York Post newspaper on January 13, 2005, featuring the "Royal Nazi" headline about Prince Harry who attended a fancy dress party wearing a khaki uniform with an armband emblazoned with a swastika. 
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry share a joke as they watch Prince Charles and his bride Camilla Duchess of Cornwall leave St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England, following their marriage blessing on April 9, 2005. 
Prince Harry takes part in the Trooping Of New Colours alongside his fellow officer cadets at the Royal Military Academy on June 21, 2005, in Sandhurst, England. 
Prince Harry sitting below the turret of his Spartan armored vehicle as he communicates with other units by radio, in the desert in Helmand province in Southern Afghanistan, on February 20, 2008. The 23-year-old, an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, secretly served for several weeks in the volatile southern province of Helmand. 
Prince Harry skis with the Walking with the Wounded team, who have gathered on the island of Spitsbergen, Norway -- situated between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole -- for their last days of preparation before setting off to the North Pole by foot on March 29, 2011. 
Prince Harry climbs on board a specially decorated golf buggy as he goes on a tour of Harbour Island in Nassau, Bahamas, on March 4, 2012. The Prince was visiting the Bahamas as part of a Diamond Jubilee tour as a representative of Queen Elizabeth II. 
Left to right: Carole Coe, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips enjoy the atmosphere as they watch track cycling at the Velodrome on August 7, 2012 at the London 2012 Olympic Games. 
Prince Harry was deployed to Afghanistan as an Army helicopter pilot, the UK military announced on September 7, 2012. Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years Harry through the years HIDE CAPTION << < 
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Prince Harry shows distaste for media Harry explained how the roles of Apaches and CPGs have changed since his previous deployments in 2007 and 2008. "It used to be very much: front seat, you're firing the whole time.
"Now, yes we fire when we have to but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything else.
"Our job out here is to make sure the guys are safe on the ground and if that means shooting someone who is shooting at them, then we will do it," said the prince, third in line to the British throne.
"It's not the reason I decided to do this job. The reason to do this job was to get back out here, and carry on with a job."
Away from his helicopter, the prince mixed freely on base, eating in the canteen with everyone else and relaxing by playing video games with others in the 130-strong 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC). With those comrades, he was just "one of the guys."
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Now, yes we fire when we have to but essentially we're more of a deterrent than anything elsePrince HarryIn contrast to his privileged upbringing in palaces and an education at Eton College, the prince lived in a shared room within shipping containers converted into an accommodation block. He said he was free to stroll around the base, to visit the gym or the laundry. "It's completely normal," Harry added.
But he said he still received unwanted attention in more public places. "For me it's not that normal because I go into the cookhouse and everyone has a good old gawp, and that's one thing that I dislike about being here," he said.
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"Because there's plenty of guys in there that have never met me, therefore look at me as Prince Harry and not as Captain Wales, which is frustrating.
"Which is probably another reason why I'd love to be out in the PBs (patrol bases), away from it all.
"But yeah, it's completely normal. It's as normal as it's going to get. I'm one of the guys. I don't get treated any differently."
His deployment meant he could step back from the public eye, although he said his father, the heir to the British throne Prince Charles, often reminded him of his position. Harry admitted he had "let himself and his family down" when he was photographed naked at a party in a Las Vegas hotel last year.
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Harry appeared happier talking about his military role: building up the Afghan National Army, the ANA, so it can eventually take over.
"It's great to see the ANA taking more of a lead in things as well. And the professionalism is definitely shining through."
That's something his superiors in the army might say of the prince himself.
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