Sergeant Matthew Telford, of the Grenadier Guards, was one of five British soldiers shot dead in Afghanistan yesterday.
Sgt Telford’s job was training Afghan forces, according to his family.
His uncle, William Ferrand, said: “It was his job and he absolutely loved it.
“Everybody knows what a wonderful lad he was. It has devastated all of us.”
Sgt Telford, of Grimsby, joined the Army at the age of 16 and had been in Afghanistan since September 20.
He came from a military family, but was the first to sign up at that age, Mr Ferrand said.
Sgt Telford leaves a wife, Kerry, and two sons aged four and nine.
“His two sons are going to be devastated and will miss their father,” Mr Ferrand said. “Whatever Kerry wants, we will as a family make sure we do as much as we can to help her.
“We’re a military family, but he was the first one to join at the age of 16.”
Asked about his thoughts on Sgt Telford’s deployment to Afghanistan, he said: “Nobody wants their family to go out there but it was what he wanted to do.”
Mr Ferrand said his sons served in Afghanistan and Sgt Telford had been on other operational tours.
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