(Reuters) - Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords served a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday to Air Force personnel in her first constituent event since she was shot in the head in January, her office said.
Giffords dished out turkey with tongs as she stood between Brigadier General Jon Norman and her husband Mark Kelly, said Giffords' spokesman Mark Kimble.
The event at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base was expected to draw more than 400 people, mostly U.S. Air Force personnel, retired service members and their families.
Giffords was shot on January 8 at an event for constituents at a Tucson supermarket. College dropout Jared Loughner has been charged in the shooting spree that killed six people and wounded 13, including Giffords.
She is living in Houston, where she is receiving therapy. She arrived in Tucson on Tuesday to spend the holiday with friends and family.
Base officials had originally invited a member of Giffords' staff to take part in the annual Thanksgiving dinner, but when Giffords heard of it she decided to go herself, her office said.
Giffords is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Her husband is a former Navy captain and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut.
The congresswoman has made more public appearances as she progresses with her recovery.
She spoke on camera this month for the first time since the shooting, in an interview with ABC News. In October she went to Washington to award Kelly with two medals for his 25 years of service with the Navy and NASA.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Ian Simpson)
Source: Reuters US Online Report Top News
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