New Zealand has lost its first female soldier in more than 40 years in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan.
Medic Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, 26, died yesterday when the vehicle she was travelling in was hit by a roadside bomb northwest of Do Abe.
Corporal Luke Tamatea, 31, and Richard Harris, 21, were also killed in the attack.
The trio was last in a convoy sent to rescue an injured comrade and take him to hospital.
Baker is the first female member of the New Zealand armed forces to be killed in combat since the Vietnam War, when a nurse was killed.
Australian women have served in combat positions for 20 years but none have been killed in action so far.
There are currently 12 women serving in Afghanistan. Ten are in Bamiyan and another two at the US air base near Kabul.
Defence Force Chief Lieutenant General Rhys Jones said women were becoming increasingly common on the front line because of their excellent communication skills.
“A lot of European countries are putting women on the front line because of the roles we do with community engagement,” Jones said. “Having women there to interact with children and other women in Islamic society becomes quite important.”
Baker was an experienced solider. She served in the Solomon Islands in 2010 and received a bravery award in 2011 for her professionalism and courage.
Harris serviced in East Timor while Tamatea had more than 12 years’ service to his name. He served in East Timor in 2001 and the Solomon Islands in 2003. It was his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, the first taking place in 2007.
Their bodies were evacuated by helicopter and will be transferred to Australia as soon as possible. From here, they will be flown home to New Zealand.
New Zealand has now lost 10 soldiers in Afghanistan. Australia has lost 32.
Australia changed its rules about women fighting on the front line in 2011. By 2016, all front line combat roles will be open to women as long as they can pass the tough physical tests.
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