Photo: Getty Images
He's in the military.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Jun 08, 2020
Since 2017, Tammy Duckworth has served as a U.S. Senator from the state of Illinois, previously representing the state’s 8th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. And before that, she was the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
Duckworth has made history in many ways, including being the first female double amputee, the first Senator to give birth while serving in office, the first woman with a disability in the Senate, and the first Asian-American woman elected from Illinois.
But Duckworth is also a veteran and served in the Army as a helicopter pilot, and retired in 2014.
Recently, she also spoke out about about the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality that are currently happening, and Trump's gross use of the military during them. She's also being vetted as a potential Vice President for Joe Biden.
What is life like for this Democratic Senator? She has paved the way for minorities and women, but what do we know about her family life?
Who is Tammy Duckworth’s husband, Bryan Bowlsbey?
He has multiple college degrees.
Bowlsbey graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor’s degree in Military History from the University of Maryland at College Park. He received his Master’s Degree in IT Management from Webster University in 2012, training to become a commissioned officer.
They met in the ROTC.
While at George Washington University, the two were introduced, but didn’t immediately like each other.
According to Duckworth, “He made a comment that I felt was derogatory about the role of women in the Army, but he came over and apologized very nicely and then helped me clean my M16.”
They’ve been married for 25 years.
The couple tied the knot in 1993.
They have two daughters.
They welcomed their first daughter, Abigail, in 2014, and their second daughter, Maile, in 2018. Maile was named after Bowlsbey’s great aunt, who was a nurse in World War II.
Bowlsbey had a special bond with her, and Duckworth wrote on Twitter, "He spent many summer months with her while growing up, we feel her presence still and are grateful for her service to our nation during the most challenging of times.”
The birth of Maile made Duckworth the first U.S. Senator to have a child while serving. And right after her daughter was born, the rules were changed, so Senators could bring a child under one year old onto the Senate floor to breastfeed.
Bowlsbey also served in the military.
Bowlsbey is currently a major in the Army National Guard, but was also the Engineering Lead for Service Design at ARNG-IMN-O from 2008 to 2011, as well as FA-53A Action Officer, and the Brand Chief Joint Information Exchange Environment at ARNG J6.
In addition to his military service, he’s managed security services for AT&T and is the JRSS Migration Manager at VAE, Inc at the National Bureau.
He’s stood by her through thick and thin.
In 2005, Duckworth had to have both her legs amputated following a helicopter crash. Through it all, Bowlsbey was at her beck and call.
After the accident, he knew she would survive, but wasn’t sure about the future. “I knew she would live. But I was very concerned about the quality of life. I couldn't imagine what it would be like,” he said.
During her recovery, the hospital staff took him around to the occupational therapy rooms to explain how she could have a full quality of life. And the more he learned about the amputee services, he became reassured. “They sold the program to me so I would be ready to sell it to her when she woke up,” he recalled.
He sat at her side for nearly a week, and when Duckworth finally awoke, she said, “I love you. Put me to work.” Not realizing she lost her legs, Bowlsbey and the doctors explained to her.
“It's probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done... she received the news with poise and stoicism,” he said.
She's spoken out on the recent protests.
Duckworth has spoken out on Trump's role in using the military against people who have been gathering outside the White House to protest racism and police brutality.
Police have been using military helicopters to intimidate the protestors. The military has also been using tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and rubber bullets.
In a recent interview, Duckworth voice her opinion, saying, “The military is not to be used against Americans. He is perverting, at best, the role of the military. And he’s destroying what they stand for and the honor with which they serve. It is disgusting to me.”
In regards to the military using tear gas on protestors outside the White House, so that Trump could get to a church photo-op, Duckworth said, “What were they doing there? For a photo-op in front of a church that has nothing to do with the military? Where people are talking about excessive use of police force, what were military leaders doing there?”
She also spoke out about the West Point graduation ceremony.
“Even if you don’t care about the troops, what about all of the people supporting them? They do not have to put 1,000 cadets into a single space in order to listen to Trump give a speech.
You could have done this in a very responsible way to bring people back, where you’re only exposing a fraction of the student body at a time so that they can pick up their gear and report to their next duty station.
He could say no, and then he would probably have to resign his post. The commandant at West Point, not a single one of these guys are doing it.
At a certain point, you’re the big boys wearing the four stars on your shoulders. You’re the big boy sitting in that Secretary’s office. You’ve got to be able to stand up and say, ‘This is not right.’”
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces.