WAYNE, Pa. –
A Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier received a Purple Heart in a ceremony Nov. 1 at Valley Forge Military Academy for injuries he sustained in 2011 in Afghanistan.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Picard of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion received the medal for multiple injuries he sustained to his arm and head from flying shrapnel and debris from an improvised explosive device detonation July 5, 2011.
Picard was less than one week into an approximately year-long deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the Oklahoma National Guard.
“Sgt. 1st Class Picard displayed incredible valor, commitment, and selfless service in the face of extreme adversity in Afghanistan thirteen years ago,” said Maj. Gen. Laura McHugh, deputy adjutant general-Army, Pennsylvania National Guard. “He has continued to be an inspiration in the years since with his continuing service to our nation and commonwealth here in the Pennsylvania National Guard. It is an honor to serve with him.”
U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan presented Picard with the medal.
Picard is a lifelong resident of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and is currently employed in the Active Guard Reserve program at the at Valley Forge Military Academy. He enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard as an infantryman in 2008 and found an opportunity to deploy to Afghanistan with the Oklahoma National Guard in 2010.
“I was lucky that day, only leaving with some bumps, bruises and cuts, along with a massive TBI,” said Picard.
He said the traumatic brain injury caused issues while he was pursuing civilian higher education and further development within the military.
Picard never stopped, however, and is graduating college this year after 17 years of effort. He said he is also retaking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to pursue Officer Candidate School.
To be eligible for the Purple Heart, a service member must have been wounded or killed as a direct or indirect result of enemy action, and the wound required treatment by a medical officer.
General George Washington created the Purple Heart in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit to recognize heroic acts by his troops. The award was reinstated in 1932 on Washington's 200th birthday.