New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae will speak on behalf of the nation at the funeral for the two soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone, both 26, were killed last Saturday after a fierce three-minute gun fight in a village near Do Abe, in the north east of Bamiyan Province.
The bodies have been taken to Burnham Military Camp today and a military commemorative service will be held there at 1pm tomorrow.
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Prime Minister John Key has ordered the New Zealand flag to be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings tomorrow as a mark of respect for the soldiers.
Last night, a "sombre" ramp ceremony was held at Christchurch International Airport as the bodies of the two New Zealand soldiers arrived back on home soil, the New Zealand Defence Force said.
Families of the soldiers were the first to be invited on board when they arrived in Christchurch on a United States Air Force C-17 at 10:50pm.
Senior military officials, and personnel from 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles were all present at the ceremony.
Army personnel performed a haka as the caskets were carried across the tarmac to a waiting hearse.
"Tonight Lance Corporal Durrer and Lance Corporal Malone have returned home to both their families," the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Rhys Jones said.
"The Defence Force family will continue to support the Durrers and the Malones over this difficult time, because in one sense we share a common loss," Jones said.
Jones acknowledged that the support provided by the United
States Department of Defence was crucial in repatriating the
soldiers back to New Zealand.