The second death of a New Zealand soldier in a little over a month has reignited calls for the government to pull SAS troops out of Afghanistan.
But Prime Minister John Key has ruled out an early exit, insisting troops will stay on the ground until March next year.
"It's been a 10-year commitment by New Zealand in Afghanistan ... the role and the aim of New Zealand's role is trying to make the world a safer place ... I think we should stay the course," he said.
Lance Corporal Leon Smith, 33, was shot in the head on Wednesday during an operation in Wardak province, southwest of Kabul, at a compound suspected of housing Taliban bomb-makers preparing for an attack in the capital.
Defence Force Chief Lieutenant General Rhys Jones says Lance Corporal Smith was climbing a ladder to get into an observation position when he was shot in the head.
He was flown to a medical base but died on the operating table.
Lance Corporal Smith, a medic, was also the first person to come to the aid of Corporal Doug Grant when he was fatally injured last month.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says he and Mr Key know the risks when deployment decisions are made.
"Any minister of defence, any government, knows that when the SAS are deployed there is a risk of casualties," he said.
The Defence Force is arranging to bring Lance Corporal Smith's body back to New Zealand next week and is liaising with his family over his funeral.
He is survived by his parents and two brothers, who have described him as a sincere man, proud to serve in the NZ SAS.
NZN