Since 2001, 1876 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4484 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a beloved family member, friend, or former classmate will not be coming home from war.
~ Photo Credit Timroff
The Department of Defense has announced the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin B. Wise, 34, of Little Rock, AR, died Jan. 15 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of injuries sustained on Jan. 9 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.
Please join me below for a remembrance of his life.
Sgt. First Class Benjamin B. Wise
A native of Little Rock, AR, Sgt. Wise graduated from West Side Christian High School in 1995 and entered the United States Army in November 2000 as an infantryman. 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.
This was Wise's fourth deployment, his third time in Afghanistan; he had also served in Iraq.
In a 2004 newspaper interview, Sgt. Wise expressed his pride in being a soldier:
“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. 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.”
Sgt. Wise was the second son from his family killed in Afghanistan. His brother Jeremy Wise, a former U.S. Navy Seal, was among seven individuals killed Dec. 30, 2009 in an insurgent attack upon a forward operating base in Afghanistan. Jeremy Wise was working as a security contractor at the time of the attack.
Sgt. Ben Wise's family released a statement this week:
"Ben was proud of the career he built in the Army," his family said in a statement released by the Army. "We would like to thank friends and his fellow soldiers for their sincere expressions of sympathy during this very difficult time. 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.”
Sgt. 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
Sgt. Wise was the son of Dr. Jean and Mary Wise of Hope, AK. He is survived by his wife, Traci, his sons Luke and Ryan and his daughter Kailen.
U.S. Congressman Mike Ross of Arkansas issued the following statement in response to Sgt,. Wise's death:
"Sergeant First Class Benjamin Wise was a true American hero – giving his life in service to our great country. His bravery, dedication and patriotism exemplified what it means to be an American soldier and I am eternally grateful for his selfless sacrifice. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, children, parents and the rest of his many family and friends during this very difficult time. We must never forget that our service members often put themselves in harm's way, and too many, like Sergeant First Class Benjamin Wise, die in service to our country. We must always thank all of our active duty service members and veterans for what they do and have done, and never forget those, like Sergeant First Class Benjamin Wise, who have died serving this country."
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Rest in peace, Sgt. First Class Benjamin Wise. You have served with honor.
About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, JaxDem, and me, Ekaterin. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB site. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, ccasas, JaxDem, CalNM, TheFatLadySings, and me, Ekaterin. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.