Speaker Biography—Major L. Tammy Duckworth

L. Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran and former U.S. Army helicopter pilot. In 2004, her aircraft was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was co-piloting. As a result of the attack, Duckworth lost both of her legs and partial use of one arm. She continues to serve as a Major in the Illinois Army National Guard. Duckworth was previously the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and she currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.