Kiwi spoke of 'awesome feeling' in battle

Private John Howard was the fifth NZ-born soldier to die in Afghanistan. Photo / MAark Mitchell

A New Zealander killed in Afghanistan had ambitions to be an actor before making the "left-field" decision to join the British Army, his family said yesterday.

But private John "Jack" Howard, 23, died in what is suspected to be a "friendly-fire" incident at the weekend, becoming the fifth New Zealand-born soldier to die in Afghanistan.

He was killed while patrolling with the 3rd Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province.

The British military are investigating the death, but initial reports indicate that he could have been killed by a United States aircraft, which had been requested for an airstrike by British Forces on the ground.

His family gave an emotional press conference yesterday in Wellington, where the family live, about the young man who sought the biggest challenges in life, fuelling his ambition to become a paratrooper in the British Army.

His father, Roger, said the family were "absolutely devastated to lose our son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin". "Jack was immensely proud to be both a para and a New Zealander. He was absolutely passionate about what he was doing.

"Jack was well-read and believed strongly in what he was doing. He had an understanding of the conflict he was engaged in and prepared his position robustly. However, he never let his profession detract from his humanity."

Jack Howard was on his second tour in Afghanistan after previously serving in Kenya, Norway, France and the US. He told the Capital Times last year that to kill Taleban forces was "an awesome feeling".

"To see the things they do is horrible. They execute children for having Western lolly wrappers. They'll use civilians as human shields."

His first contact with the Taleban in 2008 almost proved fatal after he reached the top of a ridge.

"I'll never forget that feeling - standing on the top and silhouetting myself I quickly drew machine gun fire," he told newswire.co.nz.

"The whizzing of bullets around me was deafening and blinding, I felt like I was standing in a wind tunnel or in front of a fan after throwing gravel into it."

But he also enjoyed the lighter side of the war - his unit included an unusual recruit: a 1m-tall cardboard cut-out of a meerkat to help the troops feel "cool".

Jack Howard joined the Army after seeing an internet advertisement while a student at Victoria University.

Roger Howard said his son had a love of acting and Shakespeare, and the family had been trying to dissuade him from a career in acting because it wasn't the best paying profession.

Jack Howard's decision to join the military had come from "left-field", even though he was the fourth generation in the family to serve.

Jack Howard's two younger sisters Charlotte and Isabella said they would miss "his presence" and "his banter".

His mother Anne Scott said her son would have wanted a military service, and Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said the Government would accommodate the family where possible.

Mr Howard's body will be repatriated to Britain, and his family will travel there immediately. "We will go there [England] and then we will bring him home," Anne Scott said.