A 40-year-old Fort Wainwright Army soldier was pronounced dead on December 30, U.S. Army headquarters in Alaska said on Friday.
Staff Sgt. Wesley Woods was found in his off-post home in Fairbanks. The cause of death is still under investigation by Alaska State Soldiers and the Army’s Criminal Investigations Division.
According to an Army press release, soldiers and firefighters at the North Pole responded to a call at the North Pole and attempted a 35-minute effort to save lives before declaring Wood dead at the scene.
Woods, from Horn Lake, Mississippi, has been assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division since 2018.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Master Sgt. Woods, ”said Lt. Col. Matthew B. Chase, commander of the brigade’s 70th Engineer Battalion. “He was a dedicated leader and servant who made a huge impact during his time in the Arctic Wolf Brigade and throughout his career in the military. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and to all who took care of him at this time. “
Woods joined the Army in 2001. He served in previous assignments at Fort Irwin, Calif., Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Wash., Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Riley, Kansas. He had already served at Fort Wainwright in 2003. He participated in combat missions in Djibouti and Iraq.
He has received numerous awards and decorations for his military service, including four Army Medals of Honor, the Joint Service Medal of Honor, seven Army Medal of Excellence awards, six awards from the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, World War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, World War on Terrorism Service Medal, Outstanding Military Volunteer Service Medal, Military Service Ribbon, Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, Expert Infantry Badge and Parachutist Badge.