POLITICS: New Documents Shed Light on Bush's National Guard Service, page 1

posted on Oct, 26 2004 @ 10:36 PM

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Following a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the Associated Press, new documents have surfaced which shed light on President George Bush's service with the National Guard. The documents show that now President Bush stopped flying and attending regular drills before his six year service ended.

www.miami.com
But gaps in the records leave unanswered questions about the final two years of his military service in 1972 and 1973. Chief among them: Why did Bush's commanders apparently tolerate his lapses in training and approve his honorable discharge?

Bush's commanders could have punished him - or ordered him to two years of active duty - for missing drills for six months in 1972 and skipping a required pilot's medical exam. Instead, they allowed him to make up some of his missed training and granted him an honorable discharge.

"Obviously, the commander saw the lieutenant's interest in the guard was waning," said retired Maj. Gen. Paul A. Weaver Jr., a former head of the Air National Guard. "Had he been good before? Yeah. Does that mean he should nail him to the wall? No. The culture at the time was not to enforce that."

But the culture apparently did not apply to everyone. Although no records mention any punishment against Bush other than being grounded, the Texas unit's files show another airman was ordered to involuntary active duty in March 1972 as punishment.

There are also unresolved questions about what, if any, work Bush did while temporarily assigned in 1972 to an Alabama unit and why the future president suddenly switched back to training jets shortly before giving up as a pilot.

White House spokesmen say Bush fulfilled all of his obligations and was never disciplined for any wrongdoing while he was in the Texas Air National Guard from 1968 to 1973. While Bush did not meet requirements for pilots in 1972 and 1973 and skipped months of training, there is no record of his commanders ordering him to active duty or initiating an investigation.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Another story that will be spin both ways by the Democrats and Republicans, hopefully you are informed enough to make that choice without believing the spin.

[edit on 10-26-2004 by worldwatcher]

veritas93

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 05:26 PM

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This is getting so freakin old. I'd be pleased if I never heard mention of either Bush's or Kerry's military careers, ever again. Both of these men are from priveledged backgrounds. The fact that their service records are questionable seems like common knowledge, and not some ground shaking revelation. Why do some people keep searching for proof of what should be obvious?

James the Lesser

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 05:32 PM

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Because Bush still says he was a fighter pilot. He wasn't, he was just a coke head gone AWOL.

veritas93

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 05:36 PM

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Originally posted by James the Lesser
Because Bush still says he was a fighter pilot. He wasn't, he was just a coke head gone AWOL.

And Kerry still claims that he was a war hero when his wounds were caused by rice grains and fragments from his own grenade rounds lol. This is exactly why I'm tired of hearing about it lol.

Pisky

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 05:37 PM

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Why did Bush's commanders apparently tolerate his lapses in training and approve his honorable discharge?

Did I hear someone say 'back-handers from Daddy ?"

At least Kerry actually went to Vietnam. What he did while he was there is up for question, but at least he went, rather than skiving around in the ANG.

veritas93

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 05:43 PM

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But maybe Kerry actually went to vietnam because he was more serious about a political career in the future (still not an admirable reason for service in my opinion) while Bush was content to get drunk with his buddies lol. I'm certainly not defending Bush, as I think that they're both a couple of buffoons. We need REAL change in this country and neither of these guys have any intention of actually shaking up the old system.

Muaddib

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 06:23 PM

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Not to say that what Bush did was right, first because we don't know everything that happened, but...

How many enlisted personnel, or former personnel of any of the branches of the US Armed Forces in here remember that not always those who skip their duties pay for what they do?..... Skipping roll calls and duties like cleaning the barracks, not being present for guard duty, etc, while not recieving much of a punishment was normal (well, almost normal...)back in the 1990s... some of these people didn't get any punishment because they were pals with whatever officer was in charge of the barracks... I don't know how it is now thou....

Quite a few times some of us had to be awaken at night because the sailor who was supposed to be on guard duty was nowhere to be found.... Did all these people recieved dishonorable discharges? no.

Althou I do wish it was different...

I am not going to say that all were treated the same, some got more punishment than others, but this is not unheard of, and we don't really have much of an idea of what happened in Bush's case.

I am not giving an excuse for Bush skipping his duties..... But Kerry also did go against the orders of the officers in charge when he went to "negotiate" with the North Vienamese government officials by himself...yet he also got an honorable discharge.

[edit on 27-10-2004 by Muaddib]

SHADOW266

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 06:27 PM

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Sweet Jesus!!! Ok, this has to be the last single piece of information dealing with Bush's Cub Scout record. Give me a break.... what's next, the records placing him on KP duty?

Not to underscore the importance of releasing ALLL documents when you said you did...

Jedi_Master

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 07:29 PM

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Just got to ask...

Is this just another Dan Blather story ???

I mean how many times have we seen something like this crop up, just to have it blowup in the face of the reporter ??

Just don't jump on the bandwagon too soon, and make yourself look like a fool...

Chakotay

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 08:21 PM

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People have short memories and small imaginations. Let's try an old word: LAOS, and a big guess: SECRET AIR WAR. How do you go AWOL and not get busted? Answer: you don't go AWOL. You go black. That's why Bush has AF medals. The F-102 was used in Laos for unacknowledged combat using unacknowledged personnel. Remember who his dad worked for? Go figure.

curme

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 09:21 PM

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Wasn't Bush the first guy to ever join the Texas Air National Guard without first being a pilot?

HowardRoark

posted on Oct, 27 2004 @ 11:07 PM

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Originally posted by Chakotay
People have short memories and small imaginations. Let's try an old word: LAOS, and a big guess: SECRET AIR WAR. How do you go AWOL and not get busted? Answer: you don't go AWOL. You go black. That's why Bush has AF medals. The F-102 was used in Laos for unacknowledged combat using unacknowledged personnel. Remember who his dad worked for? Go figure.

That is the silliest theory yet.

Bush as a black ops pilot!

Fat chance.