LEAD STORY: Wairoa soldier grieves for mate

He is an amazing young man and we are super proud of him and proud of what they are doing over there. Sandra Metz, mother of Kyle Olsen A week ago, Wairoa man Kyle Olsen celebrated his 26th birthday with his army mates in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province. His family sent him a game to remind him of home.
But earlier this week, he was left grieving, and commemorating, the life of a good friend.
``They were very close mates,'' 1st Lieutenant Olsen's mother Sandra Metz said yesterday, as like all parents of personnel serving in the region, her thoughts turned to her own child's well-being in the wake of the death of Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell.
The 28-year-old died during an ambush attack by insurgents while on a patrol in the northeast of the province. Two other soldiers were injured.
``Our thoughts are with Tim's family,'' Mrs Metz said.
Mr Olsen had been serving in another region at the time.
Mrs Metz said she did not know how the death of his friend had affected him as she had been unable to speak to him yet.
``I'm not sure how he'll be. It's in lock-down mode at the moment.''
However, she said email messages from her son before the tragedy always included reassuring notes like ``I'm OK.''
Mr Olsen went through basic military training alongside Mr O'Donnell, where they became good mates.
While Mr Olsen went off to do three years at Linton, where he attended Massey University, Mr O'Donnell went straight into officer training.
They caught up again at Burnham base, and were both part of 2/1 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
They had embarked on the six-month deployment together _ both among four patrol leaders working in the region. All four were good mates.
``I'm always worried for him,'' Mrs Metz said, adding though that the worry was eclipsed by her pride on what he and his army colleagues were doing there.
``He is an amazing young man and we are super proud of him and proud of what they are doing over there.''