INTHESPOTLIGHT By Jen Boyer
Tammy Duckworth, Helicopter Pilot, US Army Veteran, and
US Senator Her perseverance turned tragedy into powerful advocacy, paving the way for a successful career in public service.
U
S SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) was among the first hand- ful of army women to fly com-
bat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2011). In 2004, she was deployed as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot with the Illinois Army National Guard. Her aircraft was hit by a rocket-propelled gre- nade (RPG) on Nov. 12 of that year, causing her to lose her legs and partial use of her right arm. The experience led Duckworth to become an advocate for veterans. After her yearlong recovery, Duckworth
served as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, as assis- tant secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and two terms in the US House of Representatives before being elected to the US Senate in 2016.
ROTOR: Please share with us your helicopter experience. Duckworth: I’m an instrument-rated com- mercial rotorcraft pilot with an airplane pri- vate pilot license. I earned my commercial instrument rotorcraft ratings at the army
flight school in Fort Rucker, Alabama. I used regular flight schools for my private pilot air- plane license. I flew Black Hawks through- out my military service.
What are some examples of how your helicopter flying experience has shaped who you are today? Flying for the army was more than the best job I’ve ever had—it became my identity and is who I am today. But I wouldn’t have even landed the job if it weren’t for hard work and persistence, values I’ve carried with me throughout my career and life. Determined to be a combat arms officer and fly Black Hawks, I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way on my path to flight school. I filed away every piece of advice from the commanders and officers of my reserve unit, completed the Army Aviation Branch’s preflight course, and called the Army Aviation’s flight school assignments manager at least once a week to see if there were any empty slots for flight school.
Once I finally landed an opening at Fort
Rucker, I begged the sergeant major every chance I had to be assigned to one of the training slots with Black Hawks. One day, after he practically dared me to get 100% on my systems test and graduate at the top of my class in instruments to even con- sider me for the slot, I did exactly that. In my flight school class of 40 commis-
sioned officers, only 3 of us got Black Hawks. I attribute that to one simple fact about me: if there’s something I really want
24 ROTOR MARCH 2023
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