Washington - U.S. Congressman Mike Ross of Prescott honored the late Army Sergeant First Class Benjamin B. Wise on January 24, 2012, in the U.S. Congressional Record – the official, permanent record of the proceedings in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Army Sergeant First Class Benjamin B. Wise, 34, of Little Rock, Ark., died on Jan. 15, 2012, at Landstuhl Regional Medicare Center, Landstuhl, Germany, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  Sergeant First Class Wise’s wife and children reside in Puyallup, Wash., and his parents reside in Camden, Ark.  Ross also had an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., in honor of SFC Wise.

According to the U.S. Army, Sergeant First Class Wise died of injuries sustained on January 9, 2012, in Balkh Province, Afghanistan, from small arms fire.  He was assigned to A Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.


MR. ROSS of Arkansas:  MR. SPEAKER, I rise today to honor a dedicated soldier and true American hero who died in service to this great country.    On January 15, 2012, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Benjamin B. Wise, who was 34 years old, died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  Sergeant First Class Wise died of injuries sustained on January 9, 2012, in Balkh Province, Afghanistan, from small arms fire.

SFC Benjamin Wise graduated from West Side Christian High School in El Dorado, Ark., in 1995 and eventually joined the United States Armed Forces in 2000, where he began a distinguished military career.  At the time of his death, SFC Wise was on his fourth deployment overseas – once in Iraq and three times to Afghanistan – and was assigned to A Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

SFC Wise was an outstanding soldier and, according to his family, incredibly proud of the career he built in the Army.  During his 11 years as a soldier, SFC Wise earned three Army Commendation Medals; three Army Good Conduct Medals; the National Defense Service Medal; two Afghanistan Campaign Medals with Bronze Service Stars; three Iraq Campaign Medals with Bronze Service Stars; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; two Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbons; the Army Service Ribbon; two Overseas Service Ribbons; the NATO Medal; the Parachustist Badge, Basic; the Combat Infantryman Badge; the Expert Infantry Badge; the Combat and Special Skill Badge, Basic Marksmanship Qual Badge; the Canadian Parachutist Badge; the Special Forces Tab; and four Overseas Service Bars.

SFC Wise was also posthumously awarded two Bronze Star Medals for his bravery in battle and a Purple Heart for giving his life in service to his country.  

As a well-respected leader, SFC Wise was an outstanding soldier who served his country well and proudly wore the uniform of the United States of America.  He represented the best of our Armed Forces and the best of America – giving his life to protect the freedoms we all cherish.  As a husband, father, son and brother, his loss will leave an incredible void that will be impossible to fill.  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Traci; his children, Kallen, Luke and Ryan; his parents, Dr. Jean and Mary Wise; his brother, Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Wise; his sister, Mary; and, the rest of his family and friends during this very difficult time.

Unfortunately, what made SFC Wise’s death even more tragic is that just two short years ago, the Wise family also lost another son in Afghanistan – Jeremy Wise, who was SFC Benjamin Wise’s brother.  Former Navy SEAL Special Warfare Operator First Class Jeremy Wise, age 35, was part of the CIA’s security detail at an outpost near Khost, Afghanistan, when    he was killed on December 30, 2009, when a terrorist detonated a bomb at the facility killing seven Americans in the attack.  America has now lost two outstanding patriots in the Wise family and both Benjamin and Jeremy will be deeply missed.

The United States of America remains a strong beacon for freedom and liberty around the world because of brave, honorable and dedicated service members like SFC Benjamin Wise and his brother, Jeremy.  The Wise family has endured an incredible burden and made an extraordinary sacrifice on behalf of all Americans and we are forever thankful.

Today, I ask all Members of Congress to join me as we honor the life and legacy of Army Sergeant First Class Benjamin Wise, as well as each man and woman in our Armed Forces, and all of those in harm’s way supporting their efforts, who give the ultimate sacrifice in service to this great country.  I also ask that we recognize the sacrifice and burdens our military families endure in support of this great country.  We owe them all our eternal gratitude.

January 24, 2012


A fifth generation Arkansan, Congressman Mike Ross of Prescott represents the Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Ross serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee and serves as the ranking member of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.  Ross is also Co-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Co-Chair of the Second Amendment Task Force and Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative Democratic House members that advocates the principles of fiscal responsibility and government accountability