1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: 3rd Battalion
ODA:
18 D
Date KIA: 15 January 2012 OEF
Location: Konduz Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile
Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin B. Wise, 34, of El Dorado, Ark., died Jan. 15, 2012 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany of injuries sustained when his unit was engaged by enemy small-arms fire in Konduz Province, Afghanistan.
Wise was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was Wise's fourth deployment in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.
Wise graduated from West Side Christian High School in 1995 and entered the United States Army in November 2000 as an infantryman.
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 includes 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.
Awards: 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
He is survived by his wife, Traci; his sons Luke and Ryan; and his daughter Kailen
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 2nd Battalion
ODA:
MOS: 18E
Date KIA: 25 April 2012 OEF
Location: Kandahar, Afghanistan
Action:
Staff Sgt. Andrew Trevor Britton-Mihalo, 26, of San Jose, Costa Rica, died April 25, 2012, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Andrew Trevor Britton-Mihalo was born on June 24, 1986, in San Jose, Costa Rica. He graduated from Royal High Simi High School in Valley, Calif., and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2005 as an 18X.
Britton-Mihalo completed the Special Forces Qualification Course and earned the coveted "Green Beret" in 2008 as a Special Forces communications sergeant. Britton-Mihalo’s military education includes the Warrior Leader’s Course, the Advanced Leader’s Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course and the Intelligence course.
Britton-Mihalo's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, two Army Good Conduct Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2 device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Special Forces Tab, Parachutist Badge, and Expert Marksmanship Badge.
Britton-Mihalo is survived by his wife Sgt. Jesse Britton.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Assignment: Company B, 4th Battalion
ODA:
MOS: 18E
Date KIA: 26 April 2012 OEF
Location: Ghazni Province, Afghanistan
Action: Hostile - IED
Staff Sgt. Brandon Forrest Eggleston, 29, of Candler, N.C. died when his mobility platform struck an improvised explosive device during a patrol April 26, 2012 in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to Company B, 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. and was deployed in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. This was Staff Sgt. Eggleston's third deployment in support of Overseas Contingency Operations.
He attended West Carolina University and graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 2006. Upon completion of basic training and advanced individual training, he attended the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course. He completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in March 2009 and was assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg as a SF Communications Sergeant. His military education also includes the U.S. Army Airborne School, Advanced Leaders Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Combatives Course Level 1, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course and the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat course.
Eggleston’s awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2 device, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces tab.
He will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a third campaign star and the Combat Infantry Badge. Eggleston is survived by his wife and their two daughter.