Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin B. Wise, 34, of Little Rock, Ark.
SFC Wise was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash; died Jan. 15, 2012 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of injuries sustained Jan. 9 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire.
Ark. family loses second son in Afghanistan
By Tim Talley, Associated Press
The war in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of two sons of an Arkansas couple who also have a third son in the military.
Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Wise, 34, of Little Rock, was on his fourth deployment overseas when he was injured during an insurgent attack on his unit last week. He died from his wounds Sunday at hospital in Germany, the Department of Defense said in a statement Tuesday.
His brother, 35-year-old Jeremy Wise, was killed in a terrorist attack on a CIA outpost in Afghanistan in December 2009. He was a former Navy Seal working as a security contractor.
Their brother, Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Wise, is based Hawaii but was in Germany to be with his brother, his wife Amber said. She said she was at Benjamin's home in Washington state watching his children, but she declined further comment.
The Army Ranger is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
The men's parents, Dr. Jean and Mary Wise of Hope, Ark., and their sister did not return telephone messages seeking comment from The Associated Press. But the family released a statement thanking friends and Benjamin's fellow soldiers "for their sincere expressions of sympathy during this very difficult time."
His family described him as a loving husband, devoted father, caring son and selfless soldier.
"The Wise family is sincerely touched by the concern and interest all have taken in Ben's life, his career and his sacrifice for our country," they said in the statement. "Ben was proud of the career he built in the Army."
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
Benjamin Wise, who entered military service in 2000, discussed his work as a soldier in a September 2004 interview with the Hope Star newspaper.
"It's something I've wanted to do for a while now," he told the newspaper. "I was in college and I took a break from college and thought I'd do it now while I was relatively young. I wanted to serve my country, and do something that I found exciting."
Wise compared his work as a soldier to a job, noting that "there are a lot of frustrating things about being over there, about being with people from another culture and the special circumstances.
"But, at the end of the day, it's a job and we're specialists in the field. The troops are sent there to accomplish a mission," he said.
Members of Arkansas' congressional delegation released statements of condolence and described Benjamin Wise as a hero.
"His bravery, dedication and patriotism exemplified what it means to be an American soldier and I am eternally grateful for his selfless sacrifice," said Democratic Rep. Mike Ross. Republican Rep. Tim Griffin added: "He dedicated his life to serving in defense of our country and has earned the deepest respect of a grateful nation."
Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said Wise served in Iraq as well as Afghanistan.
"While Arkansas has lost a great patriot, the Wise family has paid an extraordinary price in service to our country," Pryor said.
Family Loses Second Son in Afghanistan
Hope, Ark. —The family of a local doctor has lost a second son to the war in the Middle East.
The Department of Defense confirmed this morning that Sergeant 1st Class Benjamin B. Wise, 34, of Little Rock, died Sunday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Germany, of wounds sustained in combat on Jan. 9 in Balkh province, Afghanistan.
Wise was an Army Ranger assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. He was injured during an attack by insurgents against his unit in a small-arms fight, according to the DOD.
The assignment in Afghanistan was part of Wise's fourth deployment overseas, and was in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Upon completion of Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2001, he was assigned to the 520th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis- McChord where he deployed to Iraq as a member of the Battalion Scout Platoon from 2003-2004.
In 2005, Wise volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and was selected to continue training as medical sergeant in the Special Forces Qualification Course.
After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2008, Wise was assigned to 3rd Bn, 1st SFG (A). During his time with the unit, he deployed once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan.
Wise’s military education included the Warrior Leader’s Course, the Advanced Leader’s Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Course, the Recon and Surveillance Leadership Course and the Basic Airborne Course.
Wise’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the NATO Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (3rd Award), the Army Good Conduct Medal (3rd award), the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, the Afghan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd award), the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 2, the Army Service Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal, according to the DOD.
A 1995 graduate of West Side Christian High School in El Dorado, Wise entered military service in 2000.
He was the son of Dr. Jean and Mary Wise, of Patmos, and is survived by his wife, Traci, and sons, Luke and Ryan, and daughter, Kailen.
The Wise family issued a statement through the DOD this morning.
“The Wise family is sincerely touched by the concern and interest all have taken in Ben's life, his career and his sacrifice for our country,” the statement said. “Ben was proud of the career he built in the Army.
“We would like to thank friends and his fellow Soldiers for their sincere expressions of sympathy during this very difficult time,” the family said. “Your support is appreciated as we mourn the loss of Ben who was a loving husband, a devoted father, a caring son and a selfless Soldier.”
The family has declined to respond to questions or requests for interviews, according to the statement.
Sgt. 1st Class Ben Wise was the second son from his family to make the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country, the first being his brother, Jeremy, a former Navy SEAL who was killed in a terrorist attack against a CIA outpost in Afghanistan in December, 2009.
Sgt. 1st Class Ben Wise, in a September, 2004, interview with the Hope Star, said he was proud to be a professional soldier.
“It's a job,” he quipped. “Yes, there are a lot of frustrating things about being over there, about being with people from another culture and the special circumstances. But, at the end of the day, it's a job; and, we're specialists in the field. The troops are sent there to accomplish a mission.
“It's something I've wanted to do for a while now,” he said at the time. “I was in college and I took a break from college and thought I'd do it now while I was relatively young. I wanted to serve my country, and do something that I found exciting.”
The U. S. Army Special Operations Command, to which Wise was attached, is the larges of the service components that make up the U. S. Special Operations Command, with capabilities ranging from raiding, airfield seizures to human-terrain mapping and cultural analysis, according to the Command's website.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin B. Wise was killed in action on 01/15/12.
No comments:
Post a Comment