A member of the U.S. Army National Guard will receive the Quilt of Valor from the Peacemakers Quilters. The quilt will be presented to Matthew D. Bricker during the annual Veterans Day ceremony presented by the Howard County Daughters of the American Revolution on Tuesday morning, November 11. The ceremony will take place at 9:15 a.m. in the Fayette High School gym.

Matthew D. Bricker - Special/E4

Army National Guard

Matthew joined the Army National Guard in January 2014. He reported to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for basic training. Upon completion, he received further training as a Combat Medic AIT-Joint Base San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

In March 2017, he was deployed to the Middle East under Operation Enduring Freedom and Spartan Shield, serving as a combat medic. During this time, Matthew stated that he enjoyed teaching other soldiers combat life-saving skills and providing good medical care with a great team.

In his off time, he could normally be found in the gym. That deployment ended in November 2017, and he returned home to continue his National Guard duties.

While he is waiting for his next expected deployment in February 2026, Matthew works as an EMT for the Howard County Ambulance Service.

For his service to his country, Matthew has received the Air Assault Badge ,Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device.