Women's History Month Feature - Senator Tammy Duckworth
The month of March signifies the beginning of Women’s history Month. In honor of this occasion, we will be featuring an outstanding woman from history, highlighting the amazing accomplishments of women in our nation’s storied past
Our next installment features Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and the first Thai woman to serve in the US Senate.
Tammy Duckworth was born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1968 and moved to Honolulu when she was 16. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii and masters from George Washington University.
Following in the footsteps of her father, Tammy Duckworth enlisted in the military in 1990 and was a commissioned officer by 1992, serving as a helicopter pilot. She chose this role because it was one of the few combat jobs a woman could hold in the military.
Tammy was working on her PhD when she was deployed to Iraq in 2004. She lost both of her legs when her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
After her discharge from the military, Tammy turned her focus to another form of public service, elected office. After losing her first Congressional race, she was appointed director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She was credited with starting a program for veterans with PTSD while at the position.
In 2012, Tammy won election to the House of Representatives, serving for 4 years before then winning election to the US Senate in 2016. She became the first Thai woman to hold a Senate seat.
Her tenure as Senator has been incredibly productive. One such highlight was playing a large role in saving the Americans With Disabilities Act.
In 2018, Senator Duckworth achieved another first; she became the first Senator to give birth while in office. Throughout this, she maintained one of the most effective lawmakers and continues to serve as an inspiration to all to this day