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Defence Minister Phil Goff says his nephew was a "special boy" who died doing what he believed in.
Mr Goff revealed yesterday that his nephew, Matthew Ferrara, was one of six US soldiers killed in an ambush in Afghanistan on November 10.
Lieutenant Ferrara, 24, is the son of Mr Goff's US-based sister Linda and has joint New Zealand and US citizenship.
An emotional Mr Goff, who has up until now refused interviews on his nephew's death, today said his family were grieving the loss of "a very special boy".
"He was doing what he believed," he told reporters on his way into Labour's weekly caucus meeting.
"He was proud of his men that he led and we are very proud of what he was, what he did."
Lt Ferrara is the first New Zealander killed in military duty in Afghanistan.
Mr Goff said his family was close and were feeling the loss keenly. The family had three other boys on active duty in the military.
"So that's a risk that the family continues to bear. But it's no more, no less than all of our New Zealand men and women who serve in difficult deployments," he said.
"My situation is not unique, but for every individual that is lost this way it is a tragedy."
However, he backed the international mission in Afghanistan.
"He was where he was for a purpose, our people are where they are for a purpose, but it's a reminder of the risk and the sacrifice that our men and women in the Defence Force face on an ongoing basis."
Mr Goff said he expected to fly out to Los Angeles tomorrow night for his nephew's funeral at the end of the week.
He said he and his family had received condolences and support from the US Embassy and Australia's defence and foreign affairs ministers as well as his own colleagues.
Lt Ferrara was one of six troops from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force and three Afghan soldiers who died in the ambush by insurgents.
Eight international troops and 11 Afghan soldiers were also wounded in the fighting which began when insurgents ambushed their patrol from multiple positions with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Mr Goff yesterday said his nephew, a West Point graduate, who he described as a scholar and an athlete, had been serving in Afghanistan for around five months.
"But most of all he was a decent young man, loved by his family. We all feel very keenly his loss and the tragedy that someone with so much to offer and to do with his life has been taken from us."
Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday said the ambush had occurred after the soldiers had been meeting elders at a nearby village.
"It's a very tragic situation for the families of all involved and very very distressing for Mr Goff and his family."
She said the deaths would not influence the international presence in Afghanistan - a country which had numerous problems.
"We would not see leaving at this point as really contributing to solving those problems," she told reporters.
"I think the contribution for a wide range of countries is medium to longer term."
- NZPA
