So to recap.... Bush disregarded not 1 but 2 direct orders?!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. Failed to perform medical.
2. Transfer to Alabama was denied.

Have I (we) got this right?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. But as many young men

of that era he was given an Honorable Discharge

He should have gotten activated to the active component, but to be
fair many other less well connected yioung men were not activated either.

Still this goes to his honor, or rather lack of it.

[Brotherjohn]

3. "Goes to his honor..." That's the whole POINT!

If his surrogates are going to question Kerry's heroic (and voluntary) service under fire 30 years ago and claim that it says something about what kind of Commander in Chief Kerry can be, and get weeks of airplay about it on national TV (even when the record does NOT back them up)...

...then Kerry supporters can question Bush's "service" under, well, sunny southern skies, 30 years ago, and claim that IT, TOO, says something about what kind of Commander in Chief Bush can be (especially when the record DOES back them up).

If the media were even fair in this country (not even the "liberal" they claim), we'd be seeing nothing but questions about Bush's Guard service on TV all day every day right up until the election.

[htuttle]

2. Plus

3. Failed to register with Guard unit in Boston after transferring to Harvard.

[seabeyond]

4. 3. didnt report for duty in boston

:)

[LiviaOlivia]

5. from TNR

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=express&s=lizza090904

DAILY EXPRESS
Two-Sided Story
by Ryan Lizza

Only at TNR Online
Post date: 09.09.04

<snip>

To me, the most overlooked and most important new detail in these memos comes next. Killian writes, "I advised him of our investment in him and his commitment." It's often forgotten that even if Bush had gone off to Alabama and served honorably by showing up for all his drills, he was still walking out on a sworn commitment he made to the Guard. The government spent a vast sum of money training Bush to become a Texas Air National Guard pilot, a highly coveted position in 1968 that saved Bush from Vietnam, and in return Bush promised he would fly for the Guard for as long as possible. Don't believe it? Here's the sworn statement Bush signed when he started his service:


I, George Walker Bush, upon successful completion of pilot training plan to return to my unit and fulfill my obligation to the utmost of my ability. I have applied for pilot training with the goal of making flying a lifetime pursuit and I believe I can best accomplish this to my own satisfaction by serving as a member of the Air National Guard for as long as possible.

That's what Killian meant when he advised Bush of "our investment and his commitment." But Killian, the memos show, starts to realize that his moral suasion is useless. Bush has already started maneuvering around him and Killian knows he's getting rolled. "I told him I had to have written acceptance before he would be transferred," he writes, "but think he's also talking to someone upstairs."

In the next memo Bush is "suspended from flight status due to failure to perform to USAF/TexANG standards and failure to meet annual physical examination (flight) as ordered." This is the first time any official document has reported that Bush was suspended for any reason other than simply missing his physical. It's also clear in this memo that Bush has completely abandoned the idea of ever flying again. "Officer has made no attempt to meet his training certification or flight physical," the memo says. Bush even asked for a non-flying assignment. Incredibly, Killian recommends that the Texas spot abandoned by Bush--the one that with Barnes's help Bush had won by leapfrogging ahead of hundreds of other applicants--be filled by a pilot returning from combat in Vietnam. Not only did someone else get shipped off to Vietnam when Bush landed his Guard duty, but once Bush was bored with flying and abandoned his spot, a pilot returning from Vietnam was forced to replace him.

In the final Killian memo, the one with the subject line "CYA" (cover your ass), the commander makes cryptic references to a struggle with his superiors over how much slack to cut Bush, who hadn't been observed in Texas for a year. "Staudt has obviously pressured Hodges more about Bush. I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job," Killian writes. According to the Associated Press, Staudt and Hodges are Waleter B. Staudt, the commander of the Texas National Guard at the time, and Lieutenant Cololnel Bobby Hodges, one of Bush's superiors. Staudt, Killian wrote, was "pushing to sugar coat" the evaluation. Killian complains that Bush wasn't around and there's no word from Alabama about what he's been doing. He makes a small concession to the pressure he's feeling from his bosses but refuses a full cover up for Bush. "I'll backdate," he writes, "but won't rate."


Ryan Lizza is a senior editor at TNR.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. But this infers service in Alabama was an acceptable

substitute for Texas. I thought that otherwise was the case.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. This says he transferred a 2nd time

so he was later approved for Alabama.... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x775802#775958

[LiviaOlivia]

8. I posted this

to supplement your point #1. He was suspended for not only missing a physical but also for not meeting training requirements.

<snip>

In the next memo Bush is "suspended from flight status due to failure to perform to USAF/TexANG standards and failure to meet annual physical examination (flight) as ordered." This is the first time any official document has reported that Bush was suspended for any reason other than simply missing his physical. It's also clear in this memo that Bush has completely abandoned the idea of ever flying again. "Officer has made no attempt to meet his training certification or flight physical," the memo says. Bush even asked for a non-flying assignment. Incredibly, Killian recommends that the Texas spot abandoned by Bush--the one that with Barnes's help Bush had won by leapfrogging ahead of hundreds of other applicants--be filled by a pilot returning from combat in Vietnam. Not only did someone else get shipped off to Vietnam when Bush landed his Guard duty, but once Bush was bored with flying and abandoned his spot, a pilot returning from Vietnam was forced to replace him.

<snip>

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=express&s=lizza090904

[LiviaOlivia]

11. I don't read that inference at all.

eom

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. The reference is to service in Alabama

I checked and he was later approved for service at the 187th, NOT the postal unit (which only met once a month).

[LiviaOlivia]

13. You're reading it wrong

<snip>

To me, the most overlooked and most important new detail in these memos comes next. Killian writes, "I advised him of our investment in him and his commitment." It's often forgotten that even if Bush had gone off to Alabama and served honorably by showing up for all his drills, he was still walking out on a sworn commitment he made to the Guard. The government spent a vast sum of money training Bush to become a Texas Air National Guard pilot, a highly coveted position in 1968 that saved Bush from Vietnam, and in return Bush promised he would fly for the Guard for as long as possible. Don't believe it? Here's the sworn statement Bush signed when he started his service:

<snip>

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=express&s=lizza090904



If this is the paragraph you are referring to the author says that Bush did not serve honorably in Alabama because he did not show up for drills and the "walking out on a sworn commitment" was to the TANG.

That's how I read this.

[Kadie]

9. Here is his real Guard Record.

[oscar111]

10. MSNBC story said disobeyed also to do drills

i think it was msnbc relaying a fact from cbs's 60 minutes ...

the second disobey that they detail is regarding missing training drills. the first was the medical exam.

the disobeys form the basis for bush losing his wings.

superb timeline is also in that story.

This guy bush has SO MUCH to hide! it is amazing we have not destroyed his reputation long before now. I am learning a lot about how we are incompetent and on top of that, the media is biased. Which is why aflcio and DNC need to permanently subsidize Air America radio, to get our stories out.