Capt Joseph W. Schultz
Born: May 20, 2024 in Illinois
Died: May 29, 2024 in Wardak, Afghanistan
Capt. Joseph W. Schultz of Port Angeles, Washington died at age 36 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. His military education includes: the Military Intelligence Officer Course, Infantry Captain Career Course, Defense Strategic Debriefer Course, Airborne School, Ranger School, and the Special Forces Qualification Course. Schultz’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal with one campaign star; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Overseas Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat Infantryman Badge and Parachutists Badge. He also wore the Special Forces Tab and the Ranger Tab.
Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia - Sec 60 Site 9519
To be updated…
The Capt Joseph W. Schultz by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Words cannot quantify how much he will be missed. He was a Patriot and friend.
I served with Captain Shultz when he was A Lieutenent in the 82nd Airborne, 1st BDE, 1ST Batt 1-504. He was our assistant S-2. He was a good man, and a great soldier. Dedicated to his job of collecting intelligence to protect and assist troopers. Rest In Peace. ” An old trooper never dies. They just mearley slip away “
What I knew of him was genuine, funny, and an outstanding person. I was so looking forward to seeing him again when he returned to the states surrounded by new friends. As a photojournalist, I thought if I was to be embedded with anyone, I’d want it to be with Joe and his group. He will be truly missed. Rest In Peace.
I have known Joe since elementry school, he was a bright and shining star even back then. I’m so proud and blessed to say that he was my friend and a true hero. The war always hits harder when it takes someone you know, especially when it is someone as special as Joe. His contributions and sacrifice will not be forgotten. I pray for his family and hope they find some peace, knowning that the lives that Joe touched even as a child, remember him with such fond memories, will miss him, and thank them for the sacrifice that Joe gave to keep our freedoms intact, something that I hope we never take for granted. Joe, you will live on in the memories of the Merryhill Clan! We are so proud to of known you!
I served with Joe in the 1-504 PIR at Bragg. We attended the Pre-Ranger course there together and then Ranger School at Benning as well. To be honest, if it were not for his help in Pre-Ranger school I may not have advanced on. His leadership skills we’re amazing and he was tactically and technically proficient at every Infantry task.
After Ranger School we ended up living a few doors down from each other near down town Fayetteville. My wife and I were fortunate enough to share quite a few evenings together that occasionally involved a fine cigar and a drink or two. There are many things that I remember from these times shared; his appreciation of the arts, his interests in Middle Eastern culture, his vast library of books and CD’s from around the world, stories from his times in Israel and Belize, political debates etc
Shultz was top-notch and this news is tragic. He truly was an amazing person and will be missed by all those who had the pleasure of getting to know him.
RIP Ranger Buddy, you will be missed and your sacrifices for this Country will never be forgotten.