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Defence Minister Phil Goff's nephew was one of six United States soldiers killed in an ambush in Afghanistan on November 10.
Mr Goff said today his nephew Lieutenant Matthew Ferrara was serving with the United States Army when he was killed in an action in East Afghanistan.
Mr
Goff said his nephew - the son of his sister Linda - was born in the United States and had dual New Zealand/US citizenship.
Lieutenant Ferrara was on 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 said his nephew had been serving in Afghanistan for around five months.
"I had the privilege with my family of attending his graduation from West Point in May 2005," Mr Goff said in a statement.
"We were proud of his achievements as a scholar and an athlete, graduating towards the top of his class.
"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."
Lieutenant Ferrara's funeral service will be held in Los Angeles at the end of the week.
Mr Ferrara is the first New Zealand citizen killed while serving in an armed forces role in Afghanistan. Several New Zealand Defence Force soldiers have been injured.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said she had been advised by Mr Goff of the death of his nephew yesterday.
"It's a very tragic situation for the families of all involved and very very distressing for Mr Goff and his family."
Several of Mr Goff's colleagues had already expressed their condolences to him.
Miss Clark said the ambush had occurred after the soldiers had been meeting elders at a nearby village.
But she said the deaths would not influence the international presence in Afghanistan, 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