Crowder is a 25-year veteran of the Marine Corps and served as deputy inspector general for the multi-national forces at Camp Victory in Baghdad.
She told ABC7 she has one plan for her stay in Chicago:
"Enjoying my friends and family" she said. "When you're overseas without them, you realize how much they mean to you."
Crowder next heads to Camp Pendelton in San Diego. She hopes she won't be deployed again, but if she is, Afghanistan would be her next stop.