Parents tell of sons' love of soldiering

Lance Corporal Matthew Ball (left) and Private Allister Baker in Bamiyan. Photos / Facebook

Being in the armed forces is in Private Allister Baker's blood, his mother said last night.

"He loves protecting people on the peace missions they go on, the drills they do and the machinery they get to use," Debbie Baker said. "It's in his blood now, I think."

Private Baker and Lance Corporal Matthew Ball were injured in the attack that killed Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell in Afghanistan yesterday.

The last communication Mrs Baker had with her son was a few weeks ago via Facebook. He showed her pictures he had taken of the Afghan countryside and told her a little about his military drills.

"He couldn't say much about what was happening because that's part of what they do, but he was enjoying it and working with a great bunch of guys."

Mrs Baker was thankful her son was so well trained. "He knows what he's doing when he's out there and today proved [it] - he's defended very well."

Asked how she felt about her son being in such a dangerous place, she said: "He's out there doing what he loves - that's what he's trained to do.

"I'd hoped that he would never have to go through something like he has ... but that's always at the back of your mind when your sons or daughters join the armed forces, that this day may come. It doesn't make it any easier but they're doing what they love."

Private Baker, who grew up in Takaka in Golden Bay, joined the New Zealand Army five years ago and had been to East Timor twice before being sent to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Lance Corporal Ball's parents don't expect to hear about his brush with death too quickly.

The 24-year-old soldier, who was seriously injured yesterday, did not talk much about what he had been doing while deployed overseas, his father Allan Ball said.

In that respect he was like his older brother, Steven, also a soldier.

Lance Corporal Ball and partner Maria Howe, who is also in the Army, have two children, Daniel, 4, and Alicia, 18 months. They live in Palmerston North.

A top sportsman, he was in the New Zealand Olympic wrestling team and had competed around Oceania and in the United States. He trialled with the Cronulla Sharks rugby league side but returned home to join the Army.

Lance Corporal Ball joined the New Zealand Army in January 2004 shortly after he left Auckland's Sacred Heart College. "He wanted to follow his brother," his father said.

The Afghanistan mission was not his first overseas posting. He was previously deployed to East Timor.

"I think he enjoys the physical side of it. It's funny, because we do a lot of tramping and he couldn't stand it, but went and joined the Army - and that's all they do."

Mr Ball and wife Karen were anxious last night to speak to their son after receiving few details about the attack that almost killed him.