WASHINGTON (AP) -- Months after insisting it could find no more records of
President Bush's Air National Guard service, the Defense Department has
released more than two dozen pages of files, including Bush's report card
for flight training and dates of his flights.

The records, released under pressure of a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit
by The Associated Press, show Bush ranked in the middle of his 1969 flight
training class and flew 336 hours for the Texas Air National Guard, mostly
in the F-102A fighter.

The Pentagon and Bush's campaign have claimed for months that all records
detailing his fighter pilot career have been made public, but defense
officials acknowledged Tuesday they had found two dozen new records
detailing his training and flight logs after the AP sued and submitted new
requests under the public records law.

"Previous requests from other requesters for President Bush's Individual
Flight Records did not lead to the discovery of these records because at
the
time President Bush left the service, flight records were subject to
retention for only 24 months and we understood that neither the Air Force
nor the Texas Air National Guard retained such records thereafter," the
Pentagon told the AP.

"Out of an abundance of caution," the government "searched a file that had
been preserved in spite of this policy" and found the Bush records, the
letter said. "The Department of Defense regrets this oversight during the
previous search efforts."

Bush's Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard has become an
issue in the presidential campaign as the candidates spar over who would
make the best commander in chief. Supporters of Democratic nominee John
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, have criticized Bush for
serving
stateside in the National Guard. Kerry's Republican critics claim Kerry
did
not deserve some of his five medals.

A group called Texans for Truth planned to launch an ad this week in which
a
lieutenant colonel in the Alabama Air National Guard questions Bush's
absence from his National Guard service in Montgomery, Alabama. The group
says it plans to spend about $100,000 to run the ad.

The ad asks "Was George W. Bush AWOL in Alabama?" and implores: "Tell us
whom you served with Mr. President."

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base and in the same
unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush there. "It would be impossible to
be
unseen in a unit of that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for
Absent Without Leave.


--

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base and in the same
unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush there. "It would be impossible to
be
unseen in a unit of that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for
Absent Without Leave.

The records, released under pressure of a Freedom of
Information Act lawsuit by The Associated Press, show Bush
ranked in the middle of his 1969 flight training class and
flew 336 hours for the Texas Air National Guard, mostly in
the F-102A fighter.

A group called Texans for Truth planned to launch an ad
this week in which a lieutenant colonel in the Alabama Air
National Guard questions Bush's absence from his National
Guard service in Montgomery, Alabama. The group says it
plans to spend about $100,000 to run the ad.

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base
and in the same unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush
there. "It would be impossible to be unseen in a unit of
that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for Absent
Without Leave.

"Phyloe" <shlshll@sctelcom.net> wrote in a message

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base and in the
same
unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush there. "It would be impossible
to
be
unseen in a unit of that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for
Absent Without Leave.

AWOL during time of war is a court martial offense and penalties include,
up
to, death.
Can you tell me what happened at GW's court martial when they determined
he
was AWOL?

In addition, to the best of my knowledge, you cannot be AWOL from a National

WASHINGTON (AP) -- <copyright violation snipped

That Georgie Bush was a scamp when he was younger wasn't he?
Phyloe

Actually, as Phyloe is commenting and criticising a news article he's
allowed to post the article that his criticism refers to

"Phyloe" <shlshll@sctelcom.net> wrote in
news:2q9tojFtftckU1@uni-berlin.de:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- <copyright violation snipped

Violating the Associated Press's copyright is funny?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Months after insisting it could find no more records of
President Bush's Air National Guard service, the Defense Department has
released more than two dozen pages of files, including Bush's report card
for flight training and dates of his flights.

The records, released under pressure of a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit
by The Associated Press, show Bush ranked in the middle of his 1969 flight
training class and flew 336 hours for the Texas Air National Guard, mostly
in the F-102A fighter.

The Pentagon and Bush's campaign have claimed for months that all records
detailing his fighter pilot career have been made public, but defense
officials acknowledged Tuesday they had found two dozen new records
detailing his training and flight logs after the AP sued and submitted new
requests under the public records law.

"Previous requests from other requesters for President Bush's Individual
Flight Records did not lead to the discovery of these records because at
the
time President Bush left the service, flight records were subject to
retention for only 24 months and we understood that neither the Air Force
nor the Texas Air National Guard retained such records thereafter," the
Pentagon told the AP.

"Out of an abundance of caution," the government "searched a file that had
been preserved in spite of this policy" and found the Bush records, the
letter said. "The Department of Defense regrets this oversight during the
previous search efforts."

Bush's Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard has become an
issue in the presidential campaign as the candidates spar over who would
make the best commander in chief. Supporters of Democratic nominee John
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, have criticized Bush for
serving
stateside in the National Guard. Kerry's Republican critics claim Kerry
did
not deserve some of his five medals.

A group called Texans for Truth planned to launch an ad this week in which
a
lieutenant colonel in the Alabama Air National Guard questions Bush's
absence from his National Guard service in Montgomery, Alabama. The group
says it plans to spend about $100,000 to run the ad.

The ad asks "Was George W. Bush AWOL in Alabama?" and implores: "Tell us
whom you served with Mr. President."

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base and in the same
unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush there. "It would be impossible to
be
unseen in a unit of that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for
Absent Without Leave.


--

I was an Air Reserve Technician in the air force reserves for 11 years and I
sure couldn't tell you who everybody was or if they showed up or not unless
they were in my shop. Plus when you add the different drill weekends you can
go years not ever meeting everybody.

"Phyloe" <shlshll@sctelcom.net> wrote in
news:2q9tojFtftckU1@uni-berlin.de:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- <copyright violation snipped

Violating the Associated Press's copyright is funny?

"Phyloe" <shlshll@sctelcom.net> wrote in
news:2q9tojFtftckU1@uni-berlin.de:

The records, released under pressure of a Freedom of
Information Act lawsuit by The Associated Press, show Bush
ranked in the middle of his 1969 flight training class and
flew 336 hours for the Texas Air National Guard, mostly in
the F-102A fighter.

A group called Texans for Truth planned to launch an ad
this week in which a lieutenant colonel in the Alabama Air
National Guard questions Bush's absence from his National
Guard service in Montgomery, Alabama. The group says it
plans to spend about $100,000 to run the ad.

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base
and in the same unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush
there. "It would be impossible to be unseen in a unit of
that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for Absent
Without Leave.

So Bush evaded service in the Alabama NG by joining his home
state NG? Sounds like liberal logic.

- HPT

these records are being investigated as forgeries. Also there was another
officer who claimed to see him there.
"Charles Soto" <csoto@austin.meepmeep.com> wrote in message
news:csoto-FE4BDD.19412909092004@news-fe-03.texas.rr.com...
High Plains Thumper <hpt@highplainsthumper.com> wrote:

"Phyloe" <shlshll@sctelcom.net> wrote in
news:2q9tojFtftckU1@uni-berlin.de:

The records, released under pressure of a Freedom of
Information Act lawsuit by The Associated Press, show Bush
ranked in the middle of his 1969 flight training class and
flew 336 hours for the Texas Air National Guard, mostly in
the F-102A fighter.

A group called Texans for Truth planned to launch an ad
this week in which a lieutenant colonel in the Alabama Air
National Guard questions Bush's absence from his National
Guard service in Montgomery, Alabama. The group says it
plans to spend about $100,000 to run the ad.

In the ad, Bob Mintz claims he served at the same air base
and in the same unit as Bush in 1972 but never saw Bush
there. "It would be impossible to be unseen in a unit of
that size," Mintz says in the ad. "AWOL" stands for Absent
Without Leave.

So Bush evaded service in the Alabama NG by joining his home
state NG? Sounds like liberal logic.

- HPT


He was given preferential treatment to join the Texas Air National Guard
so he would be virtually assured not to see combat in Vietnam. He was
then again given preferential treatment to "train with" the Alabama Air
National Guard, but never actually did that. In effect, he tells Mom
he's spending the night at a friend's, but goes off and sees R-rated
movies instead.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Months after insisting it could find no more records of
President Bush's Air National Guard service,