Ladda “Tammy” Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and Iraq War Veteran, Illinois National Guard

Ladda “Tammy” Duckworth (b. 1968) is an Illinois National Guard major and Iraq War veteran from the U.S. state of Illinois. She was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for the sixth district of Illinois and lost by 2% of the vote in the highly competitive 2006 House election. On 21 November 2006, Duckworth was appointed the director of the Illinois Veterans' Affairs Department by Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Duckworth's combat wounds in Iraq cost both of her legs and damaged her right arm when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. She received a Purple Heart while still at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and promoted to Major.

She is married to Major Bryan W. Bowlsbey of the Illinois Army National Guard. In 2007, Bowlsbey was informed that he would be deployed to Iraq in April.

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