Tammy Duckworth Biography

Tammy Duckworth is an Asian-American war veteran and politician. She is the first disabled woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She also became the first Asian-American congresswoman for Illinois and is the first member of Congress born in Thailand. Her father worked for United Nations and traveled frequently which meant that her childhood was spent in several countries across Southeast Asia. After completing her graduation, she joined the military training and went on to become a combat pilot. In 2004, she was deployed to serve in the Iraq War, a mission which turned into a nightmare when she lost both of her legs after a rocket-propelled grenade struck the lower half of her body. While recovering physically and mentally from the incident, she transformed into an activist. Subsequently, she went on to become the director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs and advocated better health care facilities for war veterans. Later, when President Barack Obama appointed her as Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, she emphasized on the needs of homeless and female veterans. After serving on the post for a few years, she contested for a seat in Congress, as a Democrat representing Illinois and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite the mishaps which happened in her life, she continues to demonstrate amazing willpower and inspire everyone with her unbelievable strength.