Obama Names Thai American Duckworth To Va

[ronz28]

WASHINGTON (AFP) — President Barack Obama nominated a US Army helicopter pilot who lost both her legs in an attack in Iraq as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the White House said Tuesday.

Tammy Duckworth ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives as an anti-war candidate in the 2006 election, but failed to win despite a national wave of discontent with the war.

She currently heads the state of Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

In her new job Duckworth will direct VA's public affairs office, as well as oversee programs for homeless Veterans, consumer affairs and special rehabilitative events.

"Effective communications with veterans and VA's stakeholders is key to improving our services and ensuring veterans receive the benefits they deserve," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said in a statement.

"Tammy Duckworth brings significant talent, leadership and personal experience to this important work."

Born in Thailand to a former Marine turned diplomat and a Thai mother, Duckworth still has a trace of an accent from spending much of her youth in Southeast Asia.

She joined the military while in graduate school and signed up to be a helicopter pilot because it is one of the few positions where women are able to serve in combat.

She was co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter north of Baghdad on November 12, 2004 when the cockpit was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Duckworth managed to help land the helicopter before passing out from blood loss. She woke up 10 days later to the news that she had lost both her legs and her right arm was shattered.

Once formally nominated Duckworth will need US Senate confirmation to take the job, said VA spokesman Jim Benson.

Also, in a recent speech Duckworth praised service clubs such as Rotary International where she worked as a staff supervisor before being deployed to Iraq. Duckworth said members of those organizations “do something amazing” by paying dues to be a part of an organization that requires them to perform mandatory service projects.”

People who serve the country through these organizations and in other ways are “why this nation is so strong,” she said.

Duckworth also listed volunteering with the Parent Teacher Association, extending part-time jobs to National Guardsmen and cooking for homeless shelters as ways that civilians can serve their country.

Twenty-five percent of Illinois’ homeless are veterans, she said.

Duckworth spoke of her mother, an immigrant from Thailand who cooks at a Buddhist temple every week to serve the homeless.

“To me, that’s as vital a service as what I did to serve the country in Iraq,” she said.

[bkkjames]

Nice story,,,Doubt it will make the news here. Perhaps if it was Tiger Woods or Lewis Hamilton.

[Neeranam]

Is her husband called Jack?

[ubonjoe]

Nice story,,,Doubt it will make the news here. Perhaps if it was Tiger Woods or Lewis Hamilton.

it's on the Nation website: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/02/04...es_30094978.php

Thai-born Duckworth to be US veterans affairs assistant sec

Thai-born Tammy Duckworth, veterans affairs director under ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is set to be the public face of the federal VA under President Barack Obama.

[dumspero]

Great story! I'm behind her 100% 110% if she's always paid her taxes...

Also nice to see Thai Americans who can speak Thai.

[ronz28]

Hot News from http://www.thaitownusa.com/frontnews/Index2007.aspx

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[ronz28]

I came across a video of her speech at the Democratic national convention and an interview with her discussing her experience in Iraq at:

http://www.asianamericansforobama.com/tamm...vention-remarks

The speech is political but it demonstrates her abilities as a spokesperson. The article also mentions she graduated from high school in Hawaii and from a University in Hawaii and other articles have stated she also went to school in SE Asia. I wonder if she attended primary school in Thailand?

[Tagaa]

I saw her this morning on channel 3 in a clip from an interview that will air on the evening news tonight, so says the wife.