A soldier speaks...

There has been all manner of comment in the wake of the deaths of Corporal Luke Tamatea, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker and Private Richard Harris in Afghanistan. Much of it has been ill-informed, with little to no knowledge of what soldiers in a combat zone face.

But we saw the following on the 3News website last night:

20/08/2012 12:32:32 p.m.

R.D wrote:

As a former NZ infantry soldier and having deployed to Afghanistan I believe I can comment on this thread. This year alone I have lost 4 friends in Afghanistan, having served closely with 3 of them, most recently Corporal Tamatea. As sad as the situation is the consensus among all my mates still serving is that the last thing they want is to be withdrawn from theatre. As far as they're concerned they have a job to do and a duty to uphold which they haven't fulfilled. To them, 2013 is to soon to come out. All this talk about John Key having no respect? He went to the homes of my friends (Durrer and Malone) and offered his personal condolences then, remember he also has a family and an obligation to them. Ask anybody serving now and they'll tell you that's how they feel. On backing Labour because they would prefer that our troops were withdrawn sooner rather than later. We were sent in by labour in the first place, I served in Afghanistan under a Labour government. In summary, as soldiers they know the risks of deploying to such environments as Afghanistan, they know there is a chance they could pay the ultimate price. As a former infantryman I know that Luke would be happy that he died doing what he loved to do - soldiering. He was an excellent operator, with exceptional "soldier skills". Today there are a lot of heavy hearts in the NZDF because of this tragedy. Mourn for them and their families, and pray that nothing else happens to the rest of our brave men and women serving there but know that they would all rather be there making a difference than here. All my currently serving friends want to deploy to do there part(some again).

R.D's comment comes from a personal understanding of the demands of serving in a theatre of war; something that relatively few New Zealanders can ever have. And by chance, She Who Must Be Obeyed spoke yesterday to a family member who is based at Burnham, and who, although they have not yet deployed overseas to a war zone, is ready to go at a moment's notice, and who would serve New Zealand unhesitatingly. That's what NZDF personnel are trained to do, and it's what they have signed up to.

New Zealand is justly proud of its record as an international citizen. The NZDF serves in Afghanistan as part of an international force coordinated by the United Nations. We have read all sorts of ill-informed comment in the last 24 hours about sucking up to the Americans, but that simply suits the political agenda of those spouting the rhetoric. And it is galling that today, before the bodies of the slain soldiers have even arrived back in New Zealand, the Greens will seek an Urgent Debate in Parliament over the presence of our troops in Afghanistan, seeking to make political capital out of tragedy.

Prime Minister John Key has said that the target of an April 2013 withdrawl as planned remains. And he has received support for this view; Stuff reports:

Victoria University professor of strategic studies, Robert Ayson, said there were logistical and strategic reasons the Government would not bring them home any earlier than April.

"You can't do it in a month or six weeks," Dr Ayson said.

"And if they really accelerated it, the risk is they then come across as responding to the timetable the insurgents are setting."

The Taleban has claimed responsibility for the attack, which follows reports that Taleban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar warned coalition allies their troops would be targeted.

In a statement last week, the Taleban leader reportedly said it was "a pity that some countries have become a scapegoat for the interests of America" and called on the countries' citizens to "prevent your governments from doing this".

Next year marks a decade since New Zealand troops were sent to Bamiyan and Dr Ayson said they had improved the situation.

"It's a better place than it would have been if they hadn't been there, that's almost certain. The national police are better trained than they would have been . . . the governor is more secure than she would have been . . . but are they leaving at a time when the local security forces are able to take on those roles and provide security for the population of Bamiyan? I don't know." 

New Zealand troops have died making the Bamiyan province "a better place". That will be of little comfort to the families of those who have laid down their lives. But to cut and run now would play into the hands of the Taleban. For that reason, we believe that New Zealand must discharge the commitment it has made to the UN, and to the people of Afghanistan.