Duckworth to speak 
at Utica Sunday

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UTICA — Illinois National Guard Major Tammy Duckworth, who is also the new Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs, will talk about the significance of Veterans Day following the 1 p.m. Veterans Day parade in Utica on Sunday. She will speak at the Danny Carey Memorial.

Duckworth of Hoffman Estates served in Iraq as an assistant operations officer and also flew combat missions as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. During a mission north of Baghdad in 2004, her aircraft was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was co-piloting. She continued to attempt to pilot the aircraft until passing out from blood loss. As a result of the attack, Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of one arm. She received many decorations for her actions, including the Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the Combat Action Badge.

At the Department of Veterans Affairs, Duckworth directs VA public affairs, internal communications and intergovernmental relations. Although Duckworth was appointed to the position in Washington D.C. this spring, she remains a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, an organization she has been part of for nearly 18 years.

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