The Special Forces soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord who died Sunday from combat injuries he suffered in northern Afghanistan was a father of three with a long military career in the South Sound.
Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Wise, 34, of Puyallup leaves a wife, two sons and a daughter. He died Sunday in Landstuhl, Germany – six days after he was wounded in an attack in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province, according to the Special Operations Command in North Carolina.
Kunduz is a province north of Kabul near the Tajikistan border. The Army’s first announcement of Wise’s death said he was wounded Jan. 9 in neighboring Balkh province.
Wise’s older brother, Jeremy Wise, was killed in Afghanistan in late 2009. Jeremy Wise was a former Navy SEAL who reportedly was working as a CIA contractor at the time of his death.
Wise’s family on Tuesday asked for privacy but released a written statement through the Special Operations Command:
“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. 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. 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.”
Wise enlisted in the Army in November 2000 and was assigned to Fort Lewis’ 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Wise deployed to Iraq with that Stryker brigade in 2003-04 and served in a scout platoon.
He volunteered for the Special Forces in 2005 and was selected to train as a Special Operations medical sergeant. In 2008 he was assigned to Lewis-McChord’s 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group. He deployed with Special Forces once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan.
After his death, Wise was awarded a Bronze Star medal and a Purple Heart.
Adam Ashton: 253-597-8646 adam.ashton @thenewstribune.com
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