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Posted on 09/29/2004 3:06:06 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush never was disciplined while serving in the Texas Air National Guard, never failed a physical and never asked his father or family friends for help to get him into the guard during the Vietnam War, the White House said Wednesday.
The White House answers came in response to a dozen questions submitted by The Associated Press in light of new records detailing Bush's Guard service and allegations that have surfaced this election season.
The Texas Air National Guard stripped Bush of his pilot status in August 1972 for failing to take the annual medical exam required of all pilots. Former Air National Guard officials say it was rare for a pilot to skip his physical exam.
AP asked whether Bush ever participated in a disciplinary process during his guard service, whether he ever received a critical report or was ever present for a conversation in which his performance, conduct or physical condition were raised by a superior officer.
"No and this is clear from the president's records, which have been made public," the White House said in an e-mail response.
"No," the White House replied when asked whether Bush ever failed a medical exam in the guard or had a medical problem that would have temporarily or permanently disqualified him from flying.
"All of these questions have been asked and answered repeatedly over the years," White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said.
The AP filed lawsuits in federal court and state court in Texas seeking any additional records of Bush's guard service, prompting the release in the last few months of several new records about Bush's Guard service.
Among the belatedly disclosed records was Bush's official flight logs as a fighter pilot, showing he logged more than 300 hours in military jets but had reverted to a two-seat training jet several times in his final weeks as a pilot in 1972.
In its written answers, the White House said, "There could be many reasons why an individual pilot would fly in a training plane, including availability of the planes."
The White House said Bush fulfilled his Guard duty completely, even after ending his pilot's career to go to Alabama to work on a political campaign. Bush believed he was going to work in a "non-flight capacity" in Alabama and fulfilled his commitment doing administrative tasks, the White House said.
"The president's written evaluations demonstrate a good record as a pilot; the pay and points records demonstrate his complete fulfillment of his obligations; and the records demonstrate that he followed the proper procedures and worked through the chain of command to receive approval to perform equivalent duty in Alabama," the White House said.
The answers also addressed why Bush skipped a required physical in the summer of 1972, prompting the termination of his pilot status. "The president was transferring to Alabama to perform equivalent duty in a non-flying capacity, making a flight physical unnecessary," the White House said.
Air Force regulations in 1972 required Bush's Texas commanders to "direct an investigation as to why the individual failed to accomplish the medical examination." An investigative report was supposed to be forwarded "with the command recommendation" to Air Force officials "for final determination." The regulations also said a board of inquiry could be appointed to investigate why a pilot did not take an annual flight physical. There is no record of a report or a board of inquiry in Bush's case.
Bush's Vietnam service has been made an issue since 1994 by his Democratic opponents, who allege the president received favored treatment in getting into the Texas Air National Guard. A letter recently released by the Pentagon shows Bush's father, then a congressman, wrote a military commander to thank him for taking special interest in his son during basic training.
The White House said, "The president did not ask his father or family friends for assistance" in getting into the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War."
No we are not done. Kerry sign the Damn 180 you FRAUD>
Will AP pursue Kerry's papers as aggressively ? Some hope.
Why even offer a response? My reply to such crap questions would simply be, "Next..."
So we have done an exhaustive search on Bush, well AP when are you going to the same with Kerry?
tick tock tick tock tick tock
The picture is one of stripes being pulled from a seargent's sleeve.
What absolute stupidity.
There weren't any airplanes for Bush to fly and the guard had too many pilots....I agree, are we do yet?
My distant recollection is that if a pilot has over 300 hours flying and then fly's in a trainer would be that he was training to be or was an flight instructor!
There's a legit letter stating this in Bush's records.
The democ's are making the rest up.
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040210-082910-8424r.htm
The winding down of the Vietnam War in 1971 provided a flood of exiting active-duty pilots for these instructor jobs, making part-timers like Lt. Bush and me somewhat superfluous. There was a huge glut of pilots in the Air Force in 1972, and with no cockpits available to put them in, many were shoved into nonflying desk jobs. Any pilot could have left the Air Force or the Air Guard with ease after 1972 before his commitment was up because there just wasn't room for all of them anymore.
Has the AP ever asked Kerry where he was on 12/24/1968?
Donate to Swift Boat Vets for the Truth HERE.
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My Campaign Button Page
and My Toons Page [Updated 9-22 / 11:00PM CST]
What does it take to put pressure on AP to look into Kerry's records?
The MSM just doesn't get it. Nobody watches the big 3 or believes what the wire services spew out anymore.
Nothing because they won't!
COMPLAIN TO AP AT
FEEDBACK@AP.ORG
Are you serious! ;-) AP, the Anti-President news service, is only interested in smearing our Commander in Chief. Why, they only feel good when they are condemning the United States and its Military. Find something bad about America and AP is all over it. They are just part of the old "Blame America First" gang. No surprises here.
Not to mention the fact that Bush's training was in F-102s. To move to another airplane would've required another 6 months to a year of training and that would have produced a qualified pilot just at the time he was leaving the TANG.
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