Is a Purple Heart awarded for an injury that does not cause blood loss or break the skin?
Yes. Any enemy-inflicted wound, whether there is an observable loss of blood or not, merits a Purple Heart. A concussion caused by a roadside bomb, for example, that renders a service member temporarily incapacitated is a wound, even though brain trauma is not visible to the eye. 5. Does an injury have to be seen by a doctor or medic to be eligible for a Purple Heart? Yes. A service member must be treated by a military or military certified medical person at the time of injury, or shortly thereafter, and it must be officially recorded. 6. Can a service member who accidentally shoots himself or is accidentally shot by a unit member while cleaning a weapon eligible for a Purple Heart? No. Accidental shootings that do not involve an engagement with an enemy are classified as workplace accidents. 7. Is a service member injured by the ricochet of his own bullet, grenade, missile, etc., eligible for a Purple Heart? Yes, if the service member was firing his weapon at an enemy. 8. Is a service
