The Kiwi killed in action while serving with British troops in Afghanistan was a proud New Zealander and passionate soldier, his family says.



Former Wellington College student Private John "Jack" Howard, 23, was killed on Sunday while fighting for the British army in Nad 'Ali.

Britain's Defence Ministry is investigating whether Howard, a paratrooper, was killed by friendly fire during a US air strike called in to support his unit.

Howard travelled to England to enlist in the force in March 2007. He was on his second tour of Afghanistan.

Howard's two sisters, Isabella and Charlotte, and his parents Ann and Roger fronted media at Wellington college, his old school, this afternoon.



Howard's father, reading a prepared statement, said the family was "absolutely devastated to lose our son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin".



He said Howard was immensely proud to be both a paratrooper and a New Zealander. "He was absolutely passionate about what he was doing and was never prepared to accept less than the best."



"It was down to luck, and on Saturday his luck ran out," Roger Howard said.



Howard's mother, Anne Scott, said her son: "was his own man ... If he wanted something, he did it."

Jack's younger sisters said he was a protective older brother.



Asked what they would miss most, they said the fun banter the family shared.



"The day before he died we were posting stuff on his [Facebook] wall and having a laugh..."

'STRAFING RUN'

The Guardian newspaper reported Howard was killed by cannon fire from a low-flying US jet.

The plane - believed to be an F18 - was on a strafing run, flying low while firing at targets on the ground, after it was called in by British troops engaged in a gunfight with insurgents, the newspaper reported.

Weather conditions when Howard was killed were bad after a sand storm and haze led to very low visibility. Helicopters had been grounded for 36 hours due to the poor flying conditions, the Telegraph reported.

The ministry said: "Further to the announcement of the death of a soldier from 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in Nad 'Ali yesterday, initial reports suggest that the death was caused as a result of a friendly fire incident.

"The incident will be the subject of a full investigation; however first reports indicate that an attack on an insurgent position by a US aircraft, requested by and agreed with British forces on the ground, may have been the cause.

"The investigation is ongoing and as such it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage," the ministry said in a statement.

Two other British soldiers were injured in the incident, the BBC reported.

The soldier was fighting with the Parachute Regiment's 3rd Battalion as part of an operation to increase security in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province.

'UNIQUE, ARTISTIC' GUY

High school friend Sebastian Templeton, 23, called Howard a "unique" guy.

"At school he was very artistic. He was the year above me but we took drama together and acted in a couple of plays together," Templeton said.

"He was really, really happy to speak his mind and confident in his opinion. He was really straight up and people liked that."

He said Howard was also a lot of fun. His friends had been shocked to hear of the news.

"We're a small Wellington community - there's been a lot of texts and messages going around," Templeton said.

"It's just so strange to think of people dying in wars, in Afghanistan."

Howard had left university after his first year to join the paratroopers. He was posted in the United States, Kenya, Norway and France and had only been back to New Zealand on holidays.

He told student news site Newswire, while on a visit to New Zealand in September, that he hadn't enjoyed university.

"I had always been interested in the military so I decided to give it a go after I saw an ad for the paratroopers on the internet."

Howard had been member of the Air Training Corps while at high school.

His former squadron leader, unit commander Nigel Robinson, said he was an "extremely keen" cadet who had always shown an interest in the forces.

"He was very active. We are very much involved in the outdoors, and he was very good at bush craft, camping and tramping and that sort of thing," Robinson said.

It was a shock to hear he had been killed, he said.

"There's always a risk if you're going into a conflict zone but it's much different when it's one of your own."

A friend, who last saw Howard in Spain in 2007, said he was a "nice guy" who was "so excited when he got into the paratrooping [unit]".

WORDS OF SUPPORT

Prime Minister John Key said Howard's death was "a very sad event".

"We want to pass our condolences to the family."

He was a "fine young New Zealander and we are sad to lose him in Afghanistan".

He hadn't been "formally advised" of the soldier's name, but would be talking to the British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell this afternoon.

Key said any probe into Howard's death would be handled by the British army.

Labour leader Phil Goff, whose nephew was killed in Afghanistan in 2007 while serving in the US military, offered his condolences.

"Having been through that experience myself my heart goes out to the family of the young man who was killed."

Major General Richard Rhys Jones, announced yesterday as the next head of the New Zealand's Defence Force (NZDF), said the family had asked for privacy.



"I'd like to say to the family our condolences to them," he told Radio New Zealand.



"He was brave enough to volunteer, work in a very difficult environment and tragically was killed trying to protect what he considered important in his life."

The British High Commissioner said the death was "very sad and deeply regrettable".



"In this particular instance it is one that affects both our countries and we will work together at an official level."

'HE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE'

A spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Eastman, said it was with regret that he announced the death.

"He has made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the people of Nad-e Ali from insurgent intimidation and defending his country from the threat of terrorism; no more could be asked of any soldier. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him."

Family members are understood to have met a representative of the New Zealand Defence Force yesterday.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said the Defence Force was supporting the family and he had been briefed on the incident.

"I know the British government is undertaking a full investigation and I'm aware of speculation about what could have happened. Since he was serving in the British army it's the British government that undertakes the investigation (but) clearly we are interested in the outcome."

NEW ZEALANDERS IN AFGHANISTAN



Earlier this year, another New Zealander serving with the British Army saved his comrades from a hand grenade in Afghanistan.

Rifleman James McKie lobbed the grenade back at the enemy after it landed at his feet during a firefight.

The Wellington-born soldier was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, which is expected to be presented by senior royal family members this month.

Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell is the only New Zealand Defence Force soldier to be killed in Afghanistan.

The 28-year-old died in August after his patrol was attacked in Bamiyan province.

His name was added to the war memorial in his home town of Feilding last month.