NZ soliders banished from Afghanistan for bomb photos

New Zealand soldiers in Afghanistan pose with a bomb inscribed, 'Dear Taliban, enjoy this', and adorned with a Demon energy drink sticker. Photo / Supplied

Three soldiers photographed posing with a large bomb carrying an advert for a New Zealand made energy drink are being sent home from Afghanistan for breaching operational security.

The men took the photos and sent them to Demon energy drink company.

One photo showed a Demon energy drink sticker with the slogan "no limits, no laws" attached to the bomb suspended from a plane, with the soldiers standing around it.

Another showed a hand written message "dear Taleban enjoy this demon" on the side of the bomb.

A decision was made to send the soldiers home immediately after the incident, which went against clear guidance given to all military personnel on operations, Joint Forces commander Air Vice Marshal Peter Stockwell said.

Two of the soldiers were also found to have contravened the Armed Forces Discipline Act and were formally reprimanded.

"Irrespective of the investigation into whether the acts contravened military law, the NZDF sets and expects very high levels of professionalism and behaviour from its people - this is especially the case in an operational theatre where the protection of information is vital to the overall security of New Zealand interests and activities," AVM Stockwell said.

"On this occasion those standards have not been met and as a consequence these three soldiers will be returned to New Zealand at the earliest opportunity."

The issue was not about a group of young soldiers photographing themselves, which soldiers often did, he said.

"These three are returning to New Zealand because of a series of actions and errors of judgment on their part that did not meet the standards we expect of our people."

Operational security related to the procedures and protection of information, which could be used by an adversary.

- NZPA