Tammy Duckworth

Text

Tammy Duckworth was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1986. Her father, Franklin Duckworth, was stationed in Thailand during his service in the Vietnam War, and he stayed to marry Lamai Sompompairin a woman of Thai-Chinese descent. Tammy, who is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), has noted that members of her family have served proudly in every military conflict waged on behalf of the United States since its inception.

When Tammy was 16 years old, her family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where she graduated high school. During her youth, her parents had trouble finding employment, and the family relied on public assistance. Tammy pursued higher education with a BA in political science from the University of Hwaii at Manoa, an MA in International Affairs from George Washington University, and a PhD in human services from Capella University. 

It was during her time at George Washington University that Tammy joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 1990 and became a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve in 1992, learning to fly helicopters. She was deployed to Iraq in 2004.

In November of that year, the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. The explosion severly injured Duckworth's legs and right arm, necessitating a double-amputation of her legs and major surgery to repair her arm. Duckworth was awarded a Purple Heart for her injuries and promoted to Major while recovering from surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Despite her injuries, Duckworth remained in the Army national Guard for another decade, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2014.

Duckworth's military experiences inspired her to run for public office where she could advocate on behalf of veterans, people with disabilities, and families relying on public assistance among other issues. She served as Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Obama White House from 2009 - 2011, and then became the first Asian-American Member of Congress as the Representative from Illinoi's 8th District from 2013 - 2017. In 2017, she was elected as one of Illinoi's two U.S. Senators. In 2018, she became the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office with the birth of her younger daughter, Maile. In addition to her political service, as the founder of the Intrepid Foundation, Duckworth continues to devote energy to helping wounded veterans.