Then in 2013, the infantry soldier — now retired — joined 11 other wounded warriors on a 13-day, 250-mile trek to the South Pole, using skis to cross the icy terrain and dragging 150 pounds of gear on sleds behind them.
Now Wise will take on what's been called the "toughest footrace on Earth" — the infamous Marathon des Sables, a six-day, 156-mile jaunt through the sands, rocky bluffs and stones of the Sahara Desert.
For Wise, putting himself through these paces is the least he can do to raise awareness — and money — to help other veterans.
It's a mission he says he adopted just a month after waking up at then-Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., following his injuries.
"I knew I was not going to be able to return to the field, so as an officer and a leader, I asked myself, 'What is my contribution? What is my role, my job?' " Wise said. "It's to set the example, to be an advocate and pave the way for the guys who come behind me with serious injuries."
For a man who had never run a marathon before he was injured on Oct. 24, 2009, the Marathon des Sables will be anything but easy. While Wise's injuries occurred more than six years ago, they included a shattered knee (left) and fractured kneecap (right), making running more difficult than most other physical challenges he likes to take on.
But the 2007 Air Force Academy graduate — who accepted an Army commission and completed Ranger and Airborne schools — isn't looking for easy.
The ride to Gettysburg, after all, was done on an ancient steel bike when his legs still weren't working properly and he was missing a quarter of his face.
"I had a doctor tell me that I shouldn't push myself so hard because it might set me up for failure. I took this as a huge offense. And outrage is a huge motivator," Wise said.
The trip to Antarctica was no stroll in the park, either. The South Pole Allied Challenge Team trained in Iceland to prepare for whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and 50-mph winds that drove the chill down even further.
The Marathon des Sables is the opposite extreme: five-and-a-half marathon races over five or six days across Morocco, where temperatures can soar above 125 degrees.
Runners must navigate deep sand drifts, rocky hills and roughly 5,000 feet in elevation change, all while carrying everything they need for the race — food, clothing, medical kit and a sleeping bag.
"I heard about it, and I thought, 'Why not? I'm fully capable.' I think I was just struck by the scare and scope of the event, just how immense it is," Wise said.
His journey to Morocco actually began six years ago, when he deployed to southern Afghanistan in 2009 as a platoon leader with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.
The radioman died instantly.
Wise was thrown back by the blast, his body armor and helmet blown clean off. Blinded, he was vaguely aware that he was missing several fingers.
When he woke up nine days later at Walter Reed, he learned the extent of his injuries.
"I lost my vision in my left eye, had a big hole in the left side of my cheek, all the orbitals in my face were broken. I was missing a huge hunk of my shoulder, three digits, another big hunk of my leg. I've got some hardware in there," Wise said.
Recovery, he admits, was challenging. He said he became exceedingly despondent the first time he saw himself in a mirror.
"I was 24 years old at the time. To see that disfigurement, I was devastated," Wise said.
Glum, depressed and dispirited, he sank into a funk.
But a visit to Walter Reed by then-Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Pete Chiarelli proved to be a life-changer for Wise. Chiarelli asked him whether he had heard of Operation Mend, a program at UCLA that provides cutting-edge reconstructive and plastic surgery for wounded troops.
Get strong enough to make the trip to California, and the Army would send him, Chiarelli promised.
So Wise embraced physical activity. He took that Pennsylvania bike ride after receiving encouragement from his Warrior Transition Unit company commander. He pushed himself in physical therapy. He moved to Malone House to increase his independence.
And in the spring, he said, while leafing through a copy of Army Times, he spotted an ad for the Army 10-Miler, scheduled on the first anniversary of his 'Alive' date, Oct. 24, 2010.
He and his wife decided to run.
"We went out together before she went to work for what we called family 'fun runs,' but they're really not fun. It was really bad, very painful," Wise said.
But his strength and confidence improved, and Wise ran that race. He attended Georgetown University to earn an MBA and established a career in business and finance.
And, well aware of his good fortune, he continued to raise awareness for injured veterans.
"Doing something bold and ambitious says, 'We're here, and we can continue to push ourselves' " Wise said.
For the Marathon des Sables, the medical retiree will be the only American on a 19-person, U.K.-based "Walking With The Wounded" team. Teammates include injured veterans and amputees, a rugby player, an Olympic skier, rowers, military physical therapists, ultramarathoners and plain old masochists.
The Bob Woodruff Foundation sponsored Wise's flights and race fees, and he hopes people will check out both the team's Walking With The Wounded web page as well as a blog post on the Bob Woodruff Foundation website about his effort.
"I really hope to raise awareness, whether it's for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, WWTW, Wounded Warrior Project or any other charity that helps veterans with programs, jobs, etcetera. What I'm trying to do is motivate people to give, or to give their time. Many veterans are going to need it for a long time," Wise said.
He leaves for Morocco shortly, bivouacking with his teammates in London before flying to Rabat and traveling to the race start.
For now, he said he's looking forward to being on the ground for a few weeks facing only one purpose — to get "from Point A to Point B" without any distractions, technology, comfort or aid.
"You can't fix stupid, so I'm just going with it," Wise said.
