Misplaced loyalty to a superpower 'ally' is not a good enough reason to stay.

Official figures show Afghanistan most hazardous overseas posting for personnel.

Two New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been killed and six injured in Afghanistan. The NZDF said in a statement the two were serving with the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says NZ troops making progress in a dangerous area of Afghanistan.

The body of Private Kirifi Mila, killed in a road accident in Afghanistan, has begun its journey home to New Zealand after being farewelled from Kiwi Base overnight.

The body of Private Kirifi Mila, killed in a motor accident while serving in Afghanistan on Tuesday, is expected to return to New Zealand next week, the Defence Force says.

The death of a soldier in Afghanistan is at least the ninth time in 12 years a NZ soldier has been killed in a vehicle accident.

The soldier killed when the vehicle he was in rolled down a cliff in Afghanistan was the sixth New Zealander - the fourth in the past year - to die in the country since the conflict began.

The soldier killed in a road crash in Afghanistan was a popular member of his unit who will be sorely missed, the New Zealand Defence Force says.

The country's soldiers are about to get more killing power with a new weapon which will better the range and accuracy of the rifles used by the enemies they are likely to be fighting.

The Defence Force may only be able to save up three quarters of the $300 million touted after the release of the white paper, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said today.

If problems are found with Momentum Consulting's recruitment of Stephen Wilce, then its other public sector appointments should be checked, Labour says.

Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell was described as a striking example of a young man with positive and irrepressible energy at his funeral today.