Rep. Duckworth retires from the military

Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is retiring from the military after 23 years, the Illinois National Guard announced in a statement on Tuesday.

Duckworth, a lieutenant colonel, lost both legs in 2004, when the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting in Iraq was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
 
{mosads}The 47-year-old lawmaker and her husband, Army Reserves Major Bryan Bowlsbey, are expecting their first child next year.

“I plan on continuing my civilian job, raising this baby and being as big a cheerleader of the Guard as I can,” Duckworth said. “I’ll be a Guard spouse, as my husband is still in.”
 
Duckworth is running for reelection against Republican Larry Kaifesh, a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. She was endorsed by the conservative-leaning Chicago Tribune on Monday.

Her name is already being mentioned about as a possible challenger to Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in 2016.

Duckworth was commissioned with the Army Reserves in 1992 and joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 1996, according to the military.