AP: New documents reveal more about Bush’s Guard service

[HR_Pufnstuf]

October 26, 2004

New documents reveal more about Bush’s Guard service

By Matt Kelley
Associated Press


Unearthed under legal pressure, three-decade-old documents portray President Bush as a capable and well-liked Air National Guard pilot who stopped flying and attending regular drills two-thirds of the way through his six-year commitment — without consequence.
The files, many of them forced to light by Freedom of Information lawsuits by The Associated Press, conflict with some of the harshest attacks Democrats have levied on Bush’s Vietnam-era service, such as suggestions that Bush was a deserter or absent without leave.

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.

FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-472767.php

Goooooogle News for "bush deserter"
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=bush+deserter&btnG=Search+News

[TroglodyteScholar]

1. Ummmm......

The files, many of them forced to light by Freedom of Information lawsuits by The Associated Press, conflict with some of the harshest attacks Democrats have levied on Bush’s Vietnam-era service, such as suggestions that Bush was a deserter or absent without leave.

I fail to see how this is true. Merely spin?

[unblock]

2. he wasn't AWOL/deserter! he merely didn't show up for six months!

don't you see the difference???

damn liberals!

[TheDebbieDee]

3. He didn't show up for the last two years.........

at least, that's what the latest TANG documents show.

[maddezmom]

5. he hasn't shown up for the last 3+ years

been on vaca or out campaigning since he was selected

[AlamoDemoc]

4. Don't lie ....he man served with

Alabama, Texas, and Massachusetts National Guard all in the same time

[crossroads]

14. If I didn't show up for 6 months, you can bet I would have been AWOL!

:eyes:

[T Bone]

6. why does AP article say they conflict with Democrats accounts ??

The documents CORROBORATE all we have been saying about him !!!

Why does the article also call the Democratic positions 'harsh attacks'.

The article does say he could have been punsihed for the gaps in his service, although he wasn't, and the implications of the article are that the punishments could have included active duty in Vietnam which would CORROBORATE our point that he WAS INDEED AWOL.

The AP is just as fucked up as this administration in their logic.

The only interesting thing about this is that it did come out on a Tuesday rather than a Friday as most bad news for Bush does, unless they are actually trying to push the lie that it 'conflicts' with our view.

Gezz, these AP, and all the mainstream media are such underhanded whores for any line these fascists in the white house want to spin.

[HR_Pufnstuf]

7. Only two other papers showing a story are subscription

here are titles.

AP: Bush Stopped Attending Guard Drills
Miami Herald (subscription), FL - 9 hours ago

New documents detail Bush's Guard service The Globe and Mail (subscription)

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=bush+deserter&btnG=Search+News

[maddezmom]

8. on this one, I'll side with AP...they sued to get info and haven't let the

story die. At one point today on Yahoo, either Politics or Top Stories AP had 3 different articles on * and TANG.

[0007]

9. Where is James R. Bath? Jimmy baby quit flying the same time junior

hung it up. Where is this cock-a-croach? Of course its hard to even find Kenny boy this days, eh?

[Alpharetta]

10. Headline should be "Bush records show desertion"

If I had a paper, I'd edit the article accordingly.

The records show what Bush's detractors had claimed all along:

he failed to fulfull his commitment

right after drug tests were added to medical exams, he lost his wings because he missed a medical exam

his commanders let him off with an honorable discharge at their own discretion

[baby_bear]

11. Take a look at this headline

I was looking up the Seattle P-I for another reason, and, powie! Right in my face!

check it out
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/

This is the front page of the P-I's new night version on-line.

s_m

[maddezmom]

13. "New Bush Guard papers leave questions"- AP

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1151&slug=Bush+Guard

[NashVegas]

12. duplicate story

although the headline be slightly different

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=933787

[Dr Fate]

15. Er- so how does this "conflict" with the questions Dems have been asking?

Seems all we have are unresolved questions, still.

[Moderator]

16. Duplicate topic--Please continue discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=933787