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Bush's National Guard yearsBefore you fall for Dems' spin, here are the facts:
THE HILL ^ | 9/09/04 | Byron York

Posted on 09/16/2004 4:06:25 AM PDT by North Coast Conservative

What do you really know about George W. Bush’s time in the Air National Guard?

That he didn’t show up for duty in Alabama? That he missed a physical? That his daddy got him in?

News coverage of the president’s years in the Guard has tended to focus on one brief portion of that time — to the exclusion of virtually everything else. So just for the record, here, in full, is what Bush did:

The future president joined the Guard in May 1968. Almost immediately, he began an extended period of training. Six weeks of basic training. Fifty-three weeks of flight training. Twenty-one weeks of fighter-interceptor training.

That was 80 weeks to begin with, and there were other training periods thrown in as well. It was full-time work. By the time it was over, Bush had served nearly two years.

Not two years of weekends. Two years.

After training, Bush kept flying, racking up hundreds of hours in F-102 jets. As he did, he accumulated points toward his National Guard service requirements. At the time, guardsmen were required to accumulate a minimum of 50 points to meet their yearly obligation.

According to records released earlier this year, Bush earned 253 points in his first year, May 1968 to May 1969 (since he joined in May 1968, his service thereafter was measured on a May-to-May basis).

Bush earned 340 points in 1969-1970. He earned 137 points in 1970-1971. And he earned 112 points in 1971-1972. The numbers indicate that in his first four years, Bush not only showed up, he showed up a lot. Did you know that?

That brings the story to May 1972 — the time that has been the focus of so many news reports — when Bush “deserted” (according to anti-Bush filmmaker Michael Moore) or went “AWOL” (according to Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee).

Bush asked for permission to go to Alabama to work on a Senate campaign. His superior officers said OK. Requests like that weren’t unusual, says retired Col. William Campenni, who flew with Bush in 1970 and 1971.

“In 1972, there was an enormous glut of pilots,” Campenni says. “The Vietnam War was winding down, and the Air Force was putting pilots in desk jobs. In ’72 or ’73, if you were a pilot, active or Guard, and you had an obligation and wanted to get out, no problem. In fact, you were helping them solve their problem.”

So Bush stopped flying. From May 1972 to May 1973, he earned just 56 points — not much, but enough to meet his requirement.

Then, in 1973, as Bush made plans to leave the Guard and go to Harvard Business School, he again started showing up frequently.

In June and July of 1973, he accumulated 56 points, enough to meet the minimum requirement for the 1973-1974 year.

Then, at his request, he was given permission to go. Bush received an honorable discharge after serving five years, four months and five days of his original six-year commitment. By that time, however, he had accumulated enough points in each year to cover six years of service.

During his service, Bush received high marks as a pilot.

A 1970 evaluation said Bush “clearly stands out as a top notch fighter interceptor pilot” and was “a natural leader whom his contemporaries look to for leadership.”

A 1971 evaluation called Bush “an exceptionally fine young officer and pilot” who “continually flies intercept missions with the unit to increase his proficiency even further.” And a 1972 evaluation called Bush “an exceptional fighter interceptor pilot and officer.”

Now, it is only natural that news reports questioning Bush’s service — in The Boston Globe and The New York Times, on CBS and in other outlets — would come out now. Democrats are spitting mad over attacks on John Kerry’s record by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

And, as it is with Kerry, it’s reasonable to look at a candidate’s entire record, including his military service — or lack of it. Voters are perfectly able to decide whether it’s important or not in November.

The Kerry camp blames Bush for the Swift boat veterans’ attack, but anyone who has spent much time talking to the Swifties gets the sense that they are doing it entirely for their own reasons.

And it should be noted in passing that Kerry has personally questioned Bush’s service, while Bush has not personally questioned Kerry’s.

In April — before the Swift boat veterans had said a word — Kerry said Bush “has yet to explain to America whether or not, and tell the truth, about whether he showed up for duty.” Earlier, Kerry said, “Just because you get an honorable discharge does not, in fact, answer that question.”

Now, after the Swift boat episode, the spotlight has returned to Bush.

That’s fine. We should know as much as we can.

And perhaps someday Kerry will release more of his military records as well.

Byron York is a White House correspondent for National Review. His column appears in The Hill each week. E-mail: byork@thehill.com


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: airnationalguard; election; military; presbush
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Many questions would be answered if John Kerry would sign Form 180. But he won't.

Makes you wonder what he is hiding, doesn't it?

In God We Trust…..Semper Fi!

1 posted on 09/16/2004 4:06:27 AM PDT by North Coast Conservative
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To: conspiratoristo

Thanks for the post Bro!


2 posted on 09/16/2004 4:07:57 AM PDT by proudmilitarymrs (If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.)
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To: proudmilitarymrs; 88keys; Akron Al; babyface00; Badray; Bikers4Bush; boxerblues; Captiva; ...

Here you go Sis.


3 posted on 09/16/2004 4:08:29 AM PDT by North Coast Conservative (Never Take a Gun to a Gunfight That Is Less Than .40 Cal)
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To: conspiratoristo

Flying the "Rocket with wings" took far more guts than shooting a wounded VC. Not to denigrate those awesome Swift Boats but if you slip on a SB, you fall overboard. You sip up flying a F-102, they'll be sponging you up and mailing you home. Bush has the guts, Kerry has the fluff.


4 posted on 09/16/2004 4:10:14 AM PDT by gunnygail (Founding member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. (I operate the minigun, more fun):.)
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To: conspiratoristo

Killian's son says that Knox was a "pool typist", not Jerry Killian's father's "Right Hand", as Dan Rather asserted

Last week, Knox told the Houston Chronicle that while she was aware of a pattern of favoritism in the TANG, she had no knowledge of the particulars for George W. Bush.

Knox says that Bush was "Selected, Not Elected", and strongly opposes his re-election.

Yesterday Knox said that she remembered a heck of a lot about the case of George W. Bush, and had direct knowledge of the particulars of his case.


5 posted on 09/16/2004 4:10:26 AM PDT by gridlock (BARTENDER: Why the long face? HORSE: Ha ha, old joke. BARTENDER: I was talking to Kerry!)
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To: conspiratoristo

And to buttress the authenticity of its stupendous malfeasance of journalism, CBS trots out a woman who knew President Bush when he was in his 20's and she was menopausal.


6 posted on 09/16/2004 4:12:14 AM PDT by N. Theknow (N. Theknow: Proud Charter Member - Vast Right Wing Googling Pajama Monkeys)
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To: conspiratoristo

Not only are the documents forged, but the important points made im them are clear fabrications. Specifically, the two important points, harped on endlessly by CBS and the other liberal media, are:

1. Bush disobeyed a direct order of his commanding officer. The memo states that Bush is ordered to appear for a physical on May 15. Bush did not do so, and the media concludes that Bush disobeyed the order, and so was insubordinate. There is only one problem: It did not happen. Other pilots point out that pilots were not ordered to appear for a physical. The deadline for the physical was established by Air Force rules, and was the pilot's birthday. The pilot was required by rule to appear for a physical every year on or before his birthday. Bush's birthday was July 6, so it would not have been appropriate to order him to appear for a physical on May 15. Of course, Bush never appeared for a July 6 physical either, but that's because he had already transferred out of the Texas Air National Guard by that time.

2. Bush's commanding officer was asked to sugar coat Bush's record and give him a rating even though Bush was absent. In the memos, Killian expresses consternation that he is being asked to rate Bush even though Bush was absent. The implication which is drawn by the media is that Bush's performance was substandard. The implication drawn by the Democrats is that Bush was AWOL. However, that aspect of the memos is also a clear fabrication. The reaons is that Killian had no reason to be consternated by Bush's absence because Killian himself had already signed an order (which is clearly authentic, and looks completely different from the forged orders), which authorized Bush to transfer out of the Texas Air National Guard to the Alabama National Guard. So why would he now be upset that Bush was not there? It makes no sense, and was obviously a fabrication by the forger.

Dan Rather's insistence that the orders may be fake but the information is trues is itself obviously a lie. This whole episode really is worse than Watergate. It's like Watergate with a complicit media. In Watergate, most of the people went to jail because they lied to investigators or to Congress. As in Watergate, I think we need an investigation by the DOJ and by Congress, though I would suggest that we wait until after the election to get it going in earnest. No sense in risking a liberal backlash at this point in time.


7 posted on 09/16/2004 4:12:50 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: conspiratoristo
Thanks for the post.

BTTT with an excellent primer!
8 posted on 09/16/2004 4:13:14 AM PDT by andyk
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To: conspiratoristo

One man's record CANNOT make another man highly qualified to be C.I.C.!!!!!!!


9 posted on 09/16/2004 4:13:16 AM PDT by Waco
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To: conspiratoristo; ThomasMore

Concise and packs a punch! Thanks for posting this one.

Ping to my cousin.


10 posted on 09/16/2004 4:13:22 AM PDT by no more apples (God Bless our troops)
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To: conspiratoristo

btt ammo


11 posted on 09/16/2004 4:14:07 AM PDT by Fenris6
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To: conspiratoristo

BTTT


12 posted on 09/16/2004 4:16:42 AM PDT by spodefly (A bunny-slippered operative in the Vast Right-Wing Pajama Party!)
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To: Brilliant
Other pilots point out that pilots were not ordered to appear for a physical. The deadline for the physical was established by Air Force rules, and was the pilot's birthday. The pilot was required by rule to appear for a physical every year on or before his birthday. Bush's birthday was July 6, so it would not have been appropriate to order him to appear for a physical on May 15. Of course, Bush never appeared for a July 6 physical either, but that's because he had already transferred out of the Texas Air National Guard by that time.

This needs to be reiterated about a million times before the media will say it too.

13 posted on 09/16/2004 4:17:30 AM PDT by no more apples (God Bless our troops)
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To: gridlock

14 posted on 09/16/2004 4:17:44 AM PDT by arichtaxpayer (We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.)
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To: conspiratoristo

Nice summary of Pres. Bush's National Guard service. Thanks for the post.


15 posted on 09/16/2004 4:17:52 AM PDT by NautiNurse (Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan...painting curtains on the boarded windows)
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To: conspiratoristo
I have posted this before.. But i had a similar situation. In the winter 1963 i had a chance to go to Iowa to rebuild a couple of radio stations. I was then held an Federal Commmunications 1st Class Engineers license with Radar endorsement.

There was just one problem.. I was a member of the 37th Division... the Ohio National Guard. I applied to the guard for permission. Since the work in Iowa was temporary, they did not transfer me to the Iowa guard.They just authorized me to train with the Iowa national guard while I was in Iowa.

When I arrived in Iowa I went to the guard to get orders of when and where I was to train. The Iowa guard did not want me. They apparently did not want to pay to train a member of the Ohio national guard. So they put me in a control group.

I was still in Iowa the next summer when I got a notice that I might be required to attend summer camp at Fort Knox. That came from the Ohio guard. I contacted the Ohio Guard. They replied that I would recieve orders telling be what to do. When I did not receive orders I was afraid of being AWOL, so I drove to Knox and attended summer camp. When I got back to Iowa two weeks later there was letter in my mail box. It was postmarked 3 days after summer camp started. It informed me I did not need to attend summer camp.

I would bet a ton of money that the Guard of another state was not about to let Texas Guard man fly their planes at the thousands of dollars per hour it cost to fly their planes. If Iowa would not pay the hundred dollars it cost to train an infantry man... they were not going to pay a hundred of thousand dollars to let Bush fly their planes.

16 posted on 09/16/2004 4:21:36 AM PDT by Common Tator
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To: gridlock
And after CBS flying the old gal and her son to New York City in a private jet, great hotel with all the ammenities, don't you know she felt obligated to juice up her anti-Bush recollections?
17 posted on 09/16/2004 4:23:04 AM PDT by YaYa123 (@CBS doesn't have spell-check? They don't have fact-check either. "corroborate".com)
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To: conspiratoristo
Now, after the Swift boat episode, the spotlight has returned to Bush.

I'm not sure I would agree with this. The spotlight seems to be on Dan Rather.

18 posted on 09/16/2004 4:24:47 AM PDT by marvlus
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To: proudmilitarymrs

Yes! Thanks! I wonder now whether the major media will takes these facts and trumpet them to the American people to set the record straight.


19 posted on 09/16/2004 4:27:18 AM PDT by jazzlite (esat)
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To: Brilliant
The deadline for the physical was established by Air Force rules, and was the pilot's birthday.

Other FReepers have said that the drop dead date was 3 months after the end of the month the pilot's birthday was in, so in President Bush's case it would be October 31st.

Anybody know which one is correct?

20 posted on 09/16/2004 4:30:17 AM PDT by BlessedBeGod
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