Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth is a super important person who works in the United States Senate, which is like a big meeting place where grown-ups make rules for the country. She's a Senator for Illinois, and she's been there since 2017. Before that, she was in the U.S.

House of Representatives, which is another place where people talk about important stuff. She's a member of the Democratic Party, and she's known for being brave and smart!

Tammy Duckworth was born far away in a country called Thailand, in a city called Bangkok. She grew up in Hawaii, which is a beautiful group of islands in the ocean. She went to college to learn a lot of things. Then, she decided to join the Army! She was a helicopter pilot and flew in a place called Iraq. Imagine flying a big helicopter, that's what she did!

When Tammy was flying her helicopter in Iraq, something very dangerous happened. Her helicopter was hit by a rocket! It was a scary moment, and she lost both of her legs. She was the first woman who was a double amputee from that war. But guess what? She didn't give up! She got a special permission to keep serving in the Army for ten more years. Wow!

Tammy Duckworth is amazing because she's the first Thai American woman in Congress, and the first person born in Thailand to be a leader there. She's also the first woman with a disability to be elected to Congress. She even gave birth while she was a Senator! She works on important committees that help with the military, transportation, and helping veterans. She's a true inspiration!