Three female Iraq War vets running for Congress, are all around amazing and bad-ass women

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A SYTYCB Entry

 

After starting off with the ludicrous comments made by Rep. Todd Akin, it’s nice to see this week coming to a close with women stepping up to the plate — women like Tammy Duckworth, Martha McSally, and Tulsi Gabbard.

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that these three women are among “dozens of military veterans” who are running for Congress in this election. And let me tell you, these ladies have some impressive resumes.

Tammy Duckworth first served as a captain in the Army National Guard when she was deployed to Iraq in 2004. She was “one of the first women to fly combat missions in Iraq” and, as a Black Hawk pilot, sustained major injuries that caused her to lose both legs and function in her right arm. She was awarded a Purple Heart for her time in combat and went on to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Duckworth will be making her second bid for Congress this year as the Democratic candidate from the 8th Congressional District of Illinois (formerly part of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ district). Not only is she the favorite to win, but she is also slotted to speak at the upcoming 2012 Democratic National Convention.

In an interview with the AP, Duckworth said that by running for Congress,

“We’re breaking barriers and there’s more that needs to come. Women who have worn the uniform (serving) in Congress will help nudge things along.”

Martha McSally, a retired US Air Force Colonel who also happens to be the Republican candidate for Arizona’s 8th congressional district, told the AP:

“I served my country in uniform for 26 years. I personally consider this (congressional bid) just a continuation of my service to my country.”

McSally has also served our country as “the first women to fly a fighter aircraft in combat and the first to command a fighter squadron”. She attended the Air Force Academy and went on to get her Masters degree from Harvard. She was one of seven active-duty Air Force Officers to served on Capitol Hill and, until recently,was a Professor of National Security Studies in Germany. Oh, and don’t forget the fact that she famously sued former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Defense Department over a policy that forced females in the military to wear an abaya (a body garment worm by many Muslim women) and headscarf anytime they went off base.

And then there’s Tulsi Gabbard who, at the age of 31, was the youngest person ever elected to Hawaii State Legislature. Before that, she served as “a specialist with the medical unit of the 29th Brigade of the Army National Guard and a military police platoon leader who helped train the Kuwaiti national guard’s counterterrorism unit.” Towards the end of her first term, she decided to step down from public office and voluntarily return to Iraq to serve with her National Guard combat team.

The point here is this: these women really know their shit. Not only are they qualified — they’re uniquely qualified. Each of them has not only served her country on the home front, but also in combat overseas. As Tammy Duckworth said to the AP,

“When people talk about invading Iran, I’m going to make sure we have real discussions about the cost of war and whether this is in the very best interest of the country. I dare them to question my patriotism.”

If elected, women like Tammy Duckworth, Martha McSally, and Tulsi Gabbard would bring a fresh voice and a much-needed new perspective to the conversations taking place on Capitol Hill.

And now, more than ever, we need women like these in office. We need women with combat experience to represent the many servicewomen who are serving abroad at this very moment. We need women like Senator Claire McCaskill to run against candidates who believe that rape doesn’t necessarily cause pregnancy. We need women who support equal reproductive choices for all to be elected to office, so that every single woman across the country has control over her own body.

Simply put, we need more women in office because women make up 51% of our population, but only 17% of Congress. But with amazing, bad-ass women like Tammy Duckworth, Martha McSally, and Tulsi Gabbard running for office, we’re on the path to change.

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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