DNC TO LAUNCH FRESH ATTACK ON BUSH GUARD DUTY: WILL RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT 1978 CAMPAIGN LIT

The Drudge Report ^ | 9-12-04 | Matt Drudge

[El Gato]

Okay, the way I understand it, he did miss some drills, which he made up later.

He didn't make them all up, but he made up enough of them to have a "good year", which is all that is required to continue participating as a Ready Reservist, and to get credit for the year for eventual retirement purposes.

[El Gato]

All told, she said, Bush had logged 607 days of training and alerts.

Actually according to his records he served 607 days on active duty, but he also would have served some number of days on inactive duty. Each full day of inactive duty is two drills and thus two points. It's possible that some alerts were pulled in an inactive duty status. I know training flights are often conducted on IDT, but I don't know for certain about pulling alert. Guard and reserve pilots come in for training flights when they can, they don't all come in during the regular "Unit Training Assembly" when the rest of the unit does it's training. (They have more pilots than they could generate aircraft to fly in a two day weekend). Aircrew are authorized more paid IDTs per month than non flying folks. Typically the do one IDT per training mission, even if that mission, including pre flight planing, briefing etc and post flight debrief and critique, takes more than the 4 hours of a typical IDT period.

[silverleaf]

Correct in one respect. Bush was not a 10 week wonder (OTS grad).

Pres Bush received a direct commission, after attending the 6 week basic training course at Lackland.

This may have been orchestrated by the ANG so as to expedite his entry into flight school.

May 28, 1968: Bush enlists as an Airman Basic in the 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group, Ellington Air Force Base, Houston, and is selected to attend pilot training.

July 12, 1968: A three-member board of officers decides that Bush should get a direct commission as a second lieutenant after competing airman's basic training.

July 14 to Aug. 25, 1968: Bush attends six weeks of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Sept. 4, 1968: Bush is commissioned a second lieutenant

Nov. 25, 1968 to Nov. 28, 1969: Bush attends and graduates from flight school at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. (UTP Course #P-V4A-A Moody AFB, Ga. 53 weeks November 1969)

December 1969 to June 27, 1970: Bush trains full-time to be an F-102 pilot at Ellington Air Force Base.

Febuary 1970 Bush attends Preint Pilot Training (T-33 ANG112501 5 weeks)

June 1970 his computer records show RGRAD NAV TNG but his discharge shows F102 Intcp Pilot Training (F102 ANG1125D 16 weeks

July 1970 to April 16, 1972: Bush attends frequent drills and alerts at Ellington. Logs last flight in April 1972.

May 24, 1972: Bush moves to Alabama to work on a US Senate race, and gets permission to serve with a inactive reserve unit (9921st?) in Birmingham Alabama. But Headquarters 147th Gp then notifies Bush that regulations require that he must serve his alternate service with an active reserve unit.

Sept. 5, 1972: Bush is granted permission to do his Guard duty at the 187th Tactical Recon Group in Montgomery. Retired Lt Col John Calhoun, then serving as Unit Flight Safety Officer, states that Bush reported to his office and worked with him on multiple occasions during the 3rd and 4th quarters of 1972, and possibly in early 1973. Bush did not fly but spent time in safety office reviewing flight safety materials. 187th Unit Commander William Turnipseed makes news in 2000 by being quoted by Boston Globe (and repeated thereafter to this day in the MSM) as saying that he never saw Bush in his unit. However, former Guard officer Joe LeFevers states that he not only met Lt Bush in the 187th unit orderly room, but pointed him out and introduced him to Turnipseed. Turnipseed than recants his earlier statement, admitting that he is now suffering from alzheimers disease. Which is hard to discover in the recurring recounts by the MSM. A senior NCO at the 187th also reports meeting Lt Bush in late 1972 when Lt Col Calhoun brought him over to the pay office with a question about pay.

November 1972: Blount Senate campagn ends and Bush returns to Houston, but returns to Alabama several times for duty. Alabama Blount campaign worker Emily Martin states that, in December 1972, Bush rents an apartment short term in Montgomery, having returned to Alabama to complete Guard duty. This would have been 1st quarter, FY 1973. Medical records show Bush received dental exam at Dannelly AFB, Alabama, in January 1973. This would have been second quarter, FY 1973.

May 2, 1973: The two lieutenant colonels in charge of Bush's unit in Houston cannot rate him for the prior 12 months, saying he has "not been observed" (by them) in that period. (Although the DNC and other nonmilitary people take this to mean Bush was nowhere to be seen (!!) ACTUALLY this is a COMMON PHRASE used for OER's when the individual being rated has spent significant time away from the parent unit - also a common occurrence)

May to July 1973: Bush receives orders and logs 36 days of duty at his home unit in Texas. (This timeframe would have been 3rd and 4th quarter, FY 1973)

July 30, 1973: Lt Bush's last day in uniform, according to his records. Although Bush has requested (and received) permission to leave the ANG early in order to attend Harvard Business Graduate School, he has- by his above-required duty schedule performed by July 1973, accumulated enough Guard points to COMPLETE ALL HIS CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS through the end of his service enlistment commitment- May 1974.

Oct. 1, 1973: Bush starts at Harvard Business School and is formally discharged from the Texas Air National Guard --with 5 years and 4 months of his 6 year enlistment completed. And having completed all the duty points he would have been required to complete had he stayed through 1974.

It is amazing how few people are informed about how Bush diligently met his contractual requirement, even with an early discharge.