Tammy Duckworth is the first Thai American woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress. She is also the first woman with a disability elected to Congress and the first Senator to give birth while in office. She is the second Asian American woman to ever serve in the U.S. Senate. Duckworth is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014.