RIP to you both.

Kiwi soldier killed in Afghanistan, PM confirms | Stuff.co.nz

SAS troops pumping up security at the Rugby World Cup are unlikely to stand down to mourn the death of a fellow soldier in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister John Key this afternoon confirmed a second SAS soldier was shot dead while on a mission to prevent an attack on Kabul.

There are currently about 35 SAS soldiers in Kabul mentoring the Afghan police Crisis Response Unit.

A group of SAS troops returned to New Zealand in an counter-terrorism role for the Rugby World Cup

Makes a change for a country's PM to publicly go on TV & announce the sad event,something our excuse for a PM (and those before him) has,to my knowledge,never done.

Originally Posted by spike7451

RIP to you both.

Kiwi soldier killed in Afghanistan, PM confirms | Stuff.co.nz



Makes a change for a country's PM to publicly go on TV & announce the sad event,something our excuse for a PM (and those before him) has,to my knowledge,never done.

They don't do it because it's an incredibly stupid thing to do, particularly if you're consistently taking casualties. The wise don't make a big event of a KIA; it simply encourages the other side to make an extra effort to kill someone else whilst increasing political sensitivity about casualties which leads to crass operational decisions and yet more casualties.

RIP that man!

NZ is very open about the SAS altogether. It was John Key who said there was 35 guys there, it was the defence sec that announced Willie Apiata VC was there when that photo was released of him, and it was both of them who confirmed that the photo of SF at the Intercontinental Hotel Kabul were NZSAS Operators.