Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth: From the Cockpit to Capitol Hill
Part of Nexfinity News’ #240for250 Series: Honoring America’s Living Veterans
On November 12, 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth was co-piloting a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade tore through the cockpit. The explosion destroyed both her legs and severely damaged her right arm. As she fought to maintain consciousness, her training took over—she continued working the controls until her aircraft was safely on the ground.
That moment of courage under fire would have been the defining achievement of most military careers. For Tammy Duckworth, it was just the beginning.
A Legacy of Service
Born in Bangkok, Thailand, to an American father whose family traced its military service back to the Revolutionary War and a Thai mother of Chinese descent, Duckworth grew up understanding that service transcends borders. Her father, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who traced his ancestry to participants in every major American conflict, instilled in her a deep sense of duty to country.
After earning her Master’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University, Duckworth joined the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1990, commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1992. She later transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard, where she would serve for 23 years.
Breaking Barriers in Combat
In an era when women’s roles in combat were still heavily restricted, Duckworth became one of the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a Black Hawk pilot, she logged hundreds of flight hours in some of the most dangerous airspace in the world, earning the Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal for her service before that fateful day in 2004.
The attack that nearly killed her made Duckworth the first female double amputee from the Iraq War. Her recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center would span more than a year, requiring numerous surgeries and intensive rehabilitation. Yet throughout it all, she maintained the same determination that had kept her at the controls of her damaged helicopter.
“I didn’t survive so that I could lie around,” she later said. Instead, she channeled her experience into advocacy for her fellow veterans.
Transforming Veterans’ Care
Even before her election to Congress, Duckworth was reshaping how America cares for its veterans. As Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 to 2009, she created the nation’s first 24/7 Veterans crisis hotline—a pioneering initiative that provided immediate support to veterans in mental health emergencies.
Under her leadership, Illinois developed innovative programs to combat veteran homelessness and expanded services specifically designed for women veterans and Native American veterans, two populations whose needs had been historically overlooked. Her work earned her the Abraham Lincoln Veteran Champion Award, recognizing her exceptional commitment to those who served.
President Obama appointed her Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2009, where she continued her mission to modernize and improve veterans’ services at the national level.
Historic Congressional Career
In 2012, Duckworth made history as the first disabled woman elected to Congress, representing Illinois’s 8th Congressional District. Four years later, she won election to the U.S. Senate, where she continues to serve today.
Her tenure in the Senate has been marked by a series of groundbreaking achievements that extend far beyond her own remarkable story. In 2018, she became the first senator to give birth while in office, subsequently leading the successful effort to change Senate rules to allow senators to bring infants onto the floor—a change that recognized the realities of modern parenthood while maintaining institutional effectiveness.
As the first Thai American woman elected to Congress, Duckworth has brought a unique perspective to discussions of immigration, diversity, and what it means to be American in the 21st century.
Continuing the Fight
Today, Senator Duckworth serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and the Small Business Committee. Her legislative priorities reflect her lived experience: strengthening support for military families, improving healthcare access for women veterans, advancing disability rights, and ensuring aviation safety.
Her advocacy has earned recognition including the National Military Family Association’s 2023 Support of Military Families Award, acknowledging her tireless work on behalf of those who serve and their loved ones.
She has been particularly vocal about the unique challenges facing women in the military and women veterans, using her platform to address gaps in healthcare, combat sexual assault in the ranks, and ensure that the VA meets the needs of its fastest-growing demographic.
American Exceptionalism Embodied
Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth’s story embodies the enduring promise of American Exceptionalism—not in the sense of superiority, but in the uniquely American belief that service, sacrifice, and determination can overcome any obstacle. The daughter of immigrants who became a combat pilot. A wounded warrior who transformed tragedy into purpose. A barrier-breaking legislator who continues to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
She once said, “I didn’t give up my legs in a war for this country so that cowards could come and take away our democracy.” That fierce devotion to American ideals, forged in combat and tempered by sacrifice, defines her service then and now.
From the cockpit of a Black Hawk to the floor of the United States Senate, Tammy Duckworth has never stopped serving. Her legacy reminds us that true patriotism isn’t measured in words but in action—and that the most profound service often comes after the uniform comes off.
This article is part of Nexfinity News’ #240for250 series, honoring 250 exceptional living veterans as America celebrates its 250th anniversary. These men and women represent the best of American values: courage, service, and unwavering commitment to something greater than themselves.