Tammy Duckworth Biography, Husband, Education, What Happened To Her Legs

Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth has many firsts to her name, including the first disabled woman to be elected to the United States Congress, the first disabled woman to be elected to the United States Senate, and the first senator to give birth in the line of duty. Duckworth used her Iraq War experience to become a voice for American soldiers, and her activism soon led her to pursue a largely successful political career. From his early years to his involvement in the war and his post-war accomplishments, here’s everything you need to know about the Asian-American politician.

Tammy Duckworth bio

Duckworth was born Ladda Tammy Duckworth on March 12, 1968, in Bangkok, Thailand, to Franklin Duckworth, a British-born World War II veteran, and Lamai Sompornpairin, who is of Thai and Chinese descent. His father, Franklin, worked primarily in refugee missions with the United Nations. Duckworth therefore had to move often as a child, spending her early years in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Hawaii.

When she was 16, her family moved to Hawaii. A time when her father was unemployed and her family depended on public assistance – a part of her life that thrilled voters when she entered politics.

Tammy Duckworth decided to follow in her father’s footsteps while studying for her master’s degree at George Washington University. She joined the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and became an officer in 1992. Interested in combat, Duckworth chose to attend flight school, as pilot aircraft was one of the few roles in combat open to women. While studying for a doctorate in political science at Northern Illinois University, Tammy Duckworth was deployed to serve in the Iraq War in 2004.

What happened to his legs?

While serving in the Iraq War, Tammy Duckworth lost both of her legs in the fall of 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. His right leg was lost around the hip while the left leg was lost below the knee. Also, his right arm was broken in three places but doctors were able to save him by restoring the bones in his arms. Duckworth was the first female amputee in the Iraq War.

After his injuries, he was presented with a Purple Heart and was promoted to Major on December 21. She can now walk with the help of prostheses. Despite his injuries, Duckworth was granted a medical waiver and continued to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard. She retired from the military in 2014.

Political career

Recovering at Walter Reed Army’s Duckworth Medical Center has become an activist advocating better health care for veterans. Twice she presented her views to the US Congress. After fully recovering, Duckworth began her political career in 2006 as a Democrat.

After losing his first congressional election, Duckworth was named director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. When elected, President Obama reportedly chose Duckworth as Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. She resigned from her position in July 2011 to campaign for the United States House of Representatives in Illinois’ 8th congressional district. Duckworth defeated incumbent Republican Joe Walsh.

Tammy Duckworth successfully ran for the Senate in 2016, defeating Republican Speaker Mark S. Kirk.

Education

An atypical army brat, teenage Tammy DuckworthShe often had to move house and attended many high schools, including Singapore American School, International School Bangkok and McKinley High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she graduated. graduated with honors in 1985.

Immediately after high school, Duckworth went on to the University of Hawaii where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1989. In 1992, she earned a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. She also holds a Ph.D. She graduated in March 2015 from Human Services at Capella University. Duckworth received an honorary doctorate from Northern Illinois University in May 2010.

Husband

Tammy Duckworth is married to Bryan Bowlsbey. The couple met in the early 90s when they were both in the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). Her husband, who is a major, still serves in the military in the Illinois Army National Guard. Like Tammy, he is also an Iraq War veteran.

Their children include two daughters; Abigail, who was born in 2014 and Maile who arrived in 2018 making Duckworth the first senator to give birth while in office. Shortly after the arrival of her child, the Senate changed the rules to allow a senator to bring their child under the age of one before the Senate and breastfeed them during the vote.