Major Tammy Duckworth Appointed to Veterans Affairs post

-from Keith Kamisugi

President Barack Obama today announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

She is serving as a major in the Illinois National Guard and was previously deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom where, as a captain, she was assistant operations officer for a 500-soldier aviation task force. She also served as a logistics officer and company commander. As a helicopter pilot flying combat missions in 2004, she suffered grave injuries when her helicopter was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, losing both legs and partial use of one arm.

Duckworth earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii and a master's degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Born in Thailand, she is the daughter of a U.S. Marine who fought in Vietnam. She is married to Iraq war Veteran and National Guard officer, Major Bryan Bowlsbey.