Wise joined the United States Navy in 2001 and served as a Navy SEAL on a special-warfare team until September 2009, when he left the service.[1] His career included multiple deployments and specialized missions. After leaving the Navy, Wise worked as a security contractor for the CIA in Afghanistan.[3] On December 30, 2009, Wise was killed in the Camp Chapman attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan. The bombing was carried out by Humam Khalil al-Balawi, a Jordanian double agent.[4]
Wise's death was part of a series of tragic events for his family. His brother, Benjamin Wise, a Green Beret, died in Afghanistan in January 2012 from injuries sustained in combat.[5][6] Another brother, Beau Wise, also served in the U.S. military as a Marine and was subsequently removed from combat zones by the military as a precaution, making him the only known service member to be pulled from combat, in the Sole Survivor Policy, after losing two brothers in the Global War on Terror.[7]
Legacy
Wise was married and had one child at the time of his death.[1] Wise's name is inscribed on the CIA Memorial Wall, which honors agency personnel who have died in the line of duty. Hendrix College named their football stadium "Young-Wise Memorial Stadium" to honor the Wise brothers.[8] A book entitled The Three Wise Men tells the story of the Wise family's sacrifice.[9]
Lawsuit
After his death, the Wise family sued HSBC, alleging that the bank violated federal anti-terrorism laws through its financial dealings with banks tied to al-Qaeda, including Iran's Bank Melli and Bank Saderat, and Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank. The lawsuit was linked to the Camp Chapman Attack, carried out by al-Qaeda. However, the court of appeals dismissed the case, finding insufficient evidence to directly connect HSBC's actions to the attack.[10]