Soldier Honored: Tyler Edward Pickett

Staff Sergeant Tyler Edward Pickett, 28, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York.  He served during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Pickett was killed June 8 in Iraq’s Kirkuk Province when his unit was attacked by a suicide bomber.  He put himself between an improvised explosive device and a group of 18 fellow soldiers, saving the lives of them.

A 1999 graduate of Saratoga High School and following a tradition in his family of military service, SSG Pickett enlisted in the Army on May 31, 2001. His military awards include: Army Commendation with combat distinguishing device "V" 2, Army Achievement Medal 3, Army Good Conduct Medal 2, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star 2, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon 2, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge Basic, Air Assault Badge, Weapons Qualifications Badge, and Overseas Service Bar 4. He earned the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, both posthumously.

SSG Pickett was a protector who had good manners and old-fashioned values.  He was a man who celebrated and loved his family well; always making sure that birthdays and special occasions were done in a big way.  SSG Pickett’s daughter had this to say about him “Knowing him and being raised by him has taught me the importance of respecting others and being a respectable person. He had a radiant personality and was all around such a great person.”

SSG Pickett’s daughter is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.