[ThomasPaine2000]

I am so sick and tired of all the ignorance spewing forth in this matter. Turnipseed is correct, "AWOL" is NOT a term used in the Air Guard, (Traditional Guardsmen are NOT granted LEAVE), The correct term for an unexcused absence from a Unit Training Assembly (UTA)is Non-Participation. Members may perform Equivalent Training (EQT) with another Unit with their Commanders approval, which was normally delegated to the members immediate supervisor. Even if a Traditional Gurdsmen has missed UTA's during the year, they can still make them up. They could be made-up, with pay, during the fiscal quarter. They could be made-up with out pay, retirement points only, any time during the fiscal year. I believe this what Pres Bush did when he returned to Ellington Field.
I am a retired Chief Master Sergeant with the Texas Ar National, and with 23 years with the TxANG and 8 years active Air Force and I am a little familiar with the process.

[Hon]

You have in fact stated what he told me almost word for word at one point. I didn't record the conversation, just put some words down on a pad once it took this turn.

But he kept emphasizing how the media folks who were reporting this just didn't understand how the National Guard worked, and they weren't particularly interested in learning either.