Tammy Duckworth
U.S. Senator from Illinois
Ladda Tammy Duckworth was born in March 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand. She attended Singapore American School, the International School Bangkok, and the Jakarta International School before her family moved to Honolulu. She earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received an M.A. in international affairs from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She began a Ph.D. program at Northern Illinois University and completed a Ph.D. in human services at Capella University.
While a graduate student at George Washington University, she joined the Army ROTC, later becoming a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve. She chose to fly helicopters, went to flight school, transferred to the Army National Guard, and entered the Illinois Army National Guard. While working on her Ph.D., she deployed to Iraq. When the UH-60 Back Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents, she lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee. She also sustained major injuries to her right arm, which required extensive surgeries. When she retired, she held the rank of lieutenant colonel.
She served two and a half years as the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs before being named by President Barack Obama to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs. She held that position for two years, then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served two terms. She was elected to the U.S. Senate and assumed office in January 2017.
She is married to Bryan Bowlesbey and they have two daughters. She is a deist.
In the News…
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth notified Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that the staffer from her office who had posed as an immigration attorney at an ICE facility has been terminated. The staffer had filed legal paperwork to obtain the release of an illegal alien who had previously been deported four times, and convicted of a DUI, who was being held in ICE custody.
Senator Duckworth wrote, “Upon reviewing the matter, I can confirm that neither I nor my leadership team was aware of, authorized or directed what your letter describes as the employee’s conduct.“
She added, “My office has terminated the employment of said employee.“
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Senator Duckworth today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Tammy Duckworth
Senator from Illinois
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
