Harry Wilmerding
A U.S. Army master sergeant was found dead last week in his home in Alaska, making him the fifth soldier to die in the state over the last two months.
Master Sgt. Wesley Woods, 40, assigned to 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Wainwright, was found dead at his home in North Pole, Alaska, in late December, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Emergency responders unsuccessfully attempted to revive Woods for over 30 minutes after finding him.
The Alaska State Troopers and Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating Woods’ cause of death, according to the Daily News.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Master Sgt. Woods,” Lt. Col Matthew Chase, commander of the 70th Brigade Engineer Battalion, said in a release obtained by the Anchorage Daily News. “He was a dedicated, servant leader who made a tremendous impact during his time in the Arctic Wolf Brigade and through his career in the Army. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and all those that cared for him at this time.”
Sgt. Christian Joseph D’Andrea, 22, and Spc. Hunter Trey Stafford, 21, died at their off-post homes in Alaska in November and December, respectively, the Daily News reported. Meanwhile, Sgt. Miles Jordan Tarron, 30, and Spc. Isaiah Nicholas Oneal, 22, were each found dead in their cars in Alaska in late November.
Woods was a native of Horn Lake, Mississippi, and he joined the Army in July 2001, according to the Daily News. He served combat tours in Djibouti from March 2006 to April 2007 and Iraq from August 2009 to August 2010.
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