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Tammy Duckworth

She was worth a duck

Now she is worth half a duck

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Early life

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Military service

father served in World War II

ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War

joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps

graduate student at George Washington University

became a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve in 1992

chose to fly helicopters

one of the few combat jobs open to women

she went to flight school

transferring to the Army National Guard and entering the Illinois Army National Guard in 1996

worked as a staff supervisor at Rotary International headquarters in Evanston, Illinois.��Ph.D. in political science at Northern Illinois University

research interests in the political economy and public health in southeast Asia

lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee from injuries sustained on November 12, 2004

helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade

first American female double amputee from the Iraq war

almost completely destroyed her right arm, breaking it in three places and tearing tissue from the back side of it

reset the bones in her arm and stitched the cuts

received a Purple Heart on December 3

promoted to Major on December 21

she was presented with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal

retired from the Illinois Army National Guard in October 2014

�erected a statue with Duckworth's likeness

statue was erected in honor of female veterans.

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Government service

On November 21, 2006

appointed Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs by Governor Rod Blagojevich

Duckworth served in that position until February 8, 2009

credited with starting a program to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and veterans with brain injury��In 2009, two Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs employees at the Anna Veteran's Home in Union County filed a lawsuit against Duckworth

lawsuit alleged that Duckworth wrongfully terminated one employee and threatened and intimidated another for bringing reports of abuse and misconduct of veterans

represented in the suit by the Illinois Attorney General's office

case was dismissed twice but refilings were allowed

court set a tentative trial date of August 2016 and rejected the final motion to dismiss

state announced that it had settled the case in June 2016 for $26,000 with no admission of wrongdoing

Duckworth was nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Senate confirmed her for the position on April 22

resigned from her position in June 2011

launch her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 8th Congressional District�

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The American Dream I believe in is one that provides anyone willing to work hard enough with the opportunity to succeed.

-Tammy Duckworth

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