ine e ▁hel ic opter ▁pilot ▁and ▁signed ▁on ▁for ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁from ▁ 1 1 ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁September ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁Prince ▁Andrew ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁a ▁mid ship man , ▁and ▁entered ▁Britann ia ▁Royal ▁Naval ▁College , ▁D art mouth . ▁During ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁he ▁also ▁completed ▁the ▁Royal ▁Mar ines ▁All ▁Ar ms ▁Comm ando ▁Cour se ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁Green ▁Ber et . ▁He ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁sub - lie utenant ▁on ▁ 1 ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Tra ined ▁Str ength ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁October . ▁ ▁After ▁passing ▁out ▁from ▁D art mouth , ▁the ▁prince ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁elementary ▁flying ▁training ▁with ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁at ▁R AF ▁Le em ing , ▁and ▁later , ▁basic ▁flying ▁training ▁with ▁the ▁n avy ▁at ▁HMS ▁Se ah awk , ▁where ▁he ▁learned ▁to ▁fly ▁the ▁Gaz elle ▁hel ic opter . ▁After ▁being ▁awarded ▁his ▁wings , ▁he ▁moved ▁onto ▁more ▁advanced ▁training ▁on ▁the ▁Sea ▁King ▁hel ic opter , ▁and ▁conducted ▁oper ational ▁flying ▁training ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁He ▁joined ▁car rier - based ▁squad ron , ▁ 8 2 0 ▁Naval ▁Air ▁Squadron , ▁serving ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁aircraft ▁car rier , ▁HMS ▁Inv inci ble . ▁ ▁F alk lands ▁War ▁Argentina ▁inv aded ▁the ▁F alk land ▁Islands ,