Before Prince William heads home for the holidays — to hang out with his pregnant wife and her family in Bucklebury — he's still hard at work doing search and rescue with the Royal Air Force.
Despite a security threat in the region last Saturday, Dec. 15, the 30-year-old royal airlifted a sick infant out of Northern Ireland and transported the child from Antrim Hospital to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, a RAF spokesman confirms to Us Weekly.
William is no stranger to acts of heroism: he's also helped rescue shipwrecked Russian seamen and, this summer, teenage girls stranded at sea.
Most recently, he's been a hero on the homefront, spending as much time as possible by Kate Middleton's side as she struggles to overcome hyperemesis gravidarum, an intense form of morning sickness.
In the New Year, William will have some tough career choices to make, as he decides whether or not to sign on to another two-year tour with the RAF or accept a cavalry position — which would likely keep him closer to home and his growing family.
One career path the prince isn't as likely to choose? Retiring from the military in favor of full-time royal duties.
"William wants to give their child a somewhat normal life, and for that to happen, he has to remain in the armed forces," an insider explains.