The body of slain New Zealand SAS soldier Corporal Doug Grant returned to this afternoon on a commercial flight and was met by his family and senior representatives of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Cpl Grant, a 41-year-old from Linton, south of Palmerston North, died during an operation to rescue hostages at the British Council cultural centre in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, which was under attack by the Taliban.
A private service will be held at Papakura military camp tomorrow, after which Cpl Grant will be transported to Palmerston North, the Defence Force said.
A full military funeral would be held at Linton Military Camp on Monday, with details to be advised.
Cpl Grant was shot through a gap in his armour last Friday. He leaves a wife, a seven-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son.
A veteran of 21 years in the Defence Force, he served in East Timor twice, in the former Yugoslavia, and previously in Afghanistan.
His wife, Tina, serves in the Defence Force's education core and previously worked as a medic.
Cpl Grant's family said earlier this week he had understood the dangers of Afghanistan and believed in the mission he was there to do.
"He was a determined person, some might say stubborn in his pursuit of his goals while growing up. He wrote in a school essay once that he wanted to be in the SAS; he worked towards that goal from that time onwards and convinced the Army he could do the job.
"He shied away from the spotlight preferring to focus his attentions on his family and getting whatever job he tackled done to the best of his considerable abilities whether it was building a house, being a soldier, or being a husband and father.''
