Duckworth stresses women's service history

Duckworth stresses women's service history

Sun, 06/26/2011
Dave Hinton

Even today, Tammy Duckworth says she gets questions about whether women belong in combat.

"Where do you think I was?" she responds. "In a bar fight?"

Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of one arm when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down during a 2004 mission in Iraq.

A major in the Illinois National Guard, she now serves as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs — a position for which she was nominated by President Barack Obama.

She recently resigned the latter post and is rumored to be planning a run for U.S. Congress. Appearing Saturday at the annual Women With Wings event at Chanute Air Museum, Duckworth said she cannot speak about any potential run for Congress yet.

Duckworth said women serving in the military are becoming increasingly common. But she said many people forget that women's service started many years ago, citing the World War II service of the Women's Army Corps.
Duckworth stresses women's service history