Women's History Month: Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth, 1968-

Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Senator for Illinois, became the first disabled woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and the second Asian-American woman in the Senate. She is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2004 while serving in Iraq her helicopter was hit by an RPG. Senator Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. During her recovery she became an advocate for her fellow soldiers. She served as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a U.S. Representative and now a U.S. Senator. 

Photo and information from Senator Duckworth's webpage.

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