NY Daily News - "W left Guard unit too soon"

[Jersey Devil]

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/163815p-143464c.html

'Bama-bound without OK from Texas

By LARRY COHLER-ESSES and BOB PORT
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

George W. Bush left his Texas Air National Guard assignment and moved to Alabama in 1972 even though the Air Force denied his request for a transfer, according to his military records.
In fact, Bush, did not even ask for an official transfer until nine days after he moved to Alabama in May 1972.

The Air Force quickly rejected Bush's request, saying the fighter pilot was "ineligible" to move to the Alabama unit Bush wanted - a squadron of postal handlers.

Nevertheless, Bush stayed in Alabama until his Texas commanders finally gave him written authorization five months later to train there.

More

[Mistress Quickly]

1. The New York Daily News is a right wing

spewing tabloid. DO NOT believe a word of this.



Right?


Sorry, just needed to get my sarcasm in for the morning.

[GregW]

13. Hahaha - My brother is a journalist there!

I'm sure he'll enjoy your analysis of their news-worthiness.

[Mistress Quickly]

14. Hope you know I'm kidding

sort of. Haven't they been accused of that on the board before?

[NNN0LHI]

2. Looks like Bush was writing his own rules as he went along?

Must be nice?

Don

[GoldenOldie]

5. Rules what stinkin rules???

It's the true biography of the Bush family....rules apparently don't apply for any of them.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Why should he worry?

He knew that his daddy would take care of it after the fact.

[Skittles]

18. that's what rich kids do

arrogant bastard - he knew he would not be held accountable

[Say_What]

3. Mr. Pres, what did you do in the service. AWOL: I was a postal handler..

Bush acting like Poppy's son--thinks he can do whatever he wants. Check that Bush on Bush remark. What an insult to anyone in the military-particularly to those who have died in AWOL-Boy's OIL WAR. That oughta be sent to every soldier abroad. How about the 500 guys his Poppy 86'd in the line to get him into the NG.

From the article:

left his Texas Air National Guard assignment and moved to Alabama in 1972 even though the Air Force denied his request for a transfer

long absences from duty and that he was suspended from flying

"We spent $1 million to train him to fly," Korb said. "You're supposed to be ready to fly if we need you. If you didn't show up for your flight physical, good heavens!"

Bush on Bush: "I'm saying to myself, 'What do I want to do?' I think I don't want to be an infantry guy as a private in Vietnam. What I do decide to want to do is learn to fly."

[Aristus]

7. Shit, B*sh couldn't hack it as an infantryman, anyway.

I was a tanker, and we used to get on the infantry's case a lot, but the truth is, they were a magnificent bunch of guys. Tough, solid, squared away. B*sh wouldn't have lasted a day!

[Grins]

8. You got that right.

Boy, did that bring me back. A tough job, extremely physical. I wanted no part of Infantry. Give me a nice big tank. There's a reason there is a specific combat badge for those guys.

I was an armor platoon leader in 1971 with an Infantry division, and we were always matched up with the "crunchies". Was in the field with them one horribly hot week, temp was almost 100. We had stashed cokes with plenty of ice in the back of the tanks. We were deployed and the crunchies were out of their sweltering PC's and sprawled on the ground is defensive positions. Bugs, chiggers, snakes, heat, chow made 12 hours before - all on $100 (probably less) a month (far less than an AF pilot). I made the mistake of asking my loader to "hand up a cold one". Do you have any idea how far that "sssswwwttt" sound from the opening of a can of Coke carries? I saw helmets snapping around in my direction from everywhere! A real "Oh-shit" moment for me.

In about a minute, the Infantry platoon leader came up, and I knew what he was going to ask for his troops. There was no way in hell you could say no. I gave him ice cold Cokes. Cans so cold the condensation is rolling down the sides, and your first impluse is to roll them on your face.

A while later he came back and thanked me, and an hour or so later we moved out.

Friday finally comes and we hit the Officers Club for drinks and dinner. I'm BSing with my friends - and up comes that Infantry Lt.! Thanked me profusely, almost embarrassing, and he tells me to put my money away, it was useless in that bar.

For as long as I was at that duty station, if I was in the Club and that Lt. was there - he bought me a drink.

Never forgot it. Never forgot him. And never forgot how hard a job they had.


You're right, Bush couldn't hack it.

[frylock]

9. great story, thanks for sharing it..

and welcome home, Grins!

[Aristus]

15. You make me proud to be a tanker. Thanks for sharing such a great story.

Welcome home, my friend.

TANKER TOUGH!!!

[LiberalFighter]

24. Good story... and you did right when you realized the situation

[Say_What]

16. Kennebunkport Dems turn out in record numbers for pres. caucus

<clips>

..."I'm looking forward to seeing Kerry debate on Bush's military record. I'm reminded of the Nixon-Kennedy debates and want to see the 6-foot-3 Kerry make Bush sweat." Malloy added, " I'm part of the working poor - I didn't get a check from George Bush. Kerry has a great plan to put people back to work, find alternative resources. We ship jobs overseas and Kerry has good ideas on how to address this."

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/yorkstar/ys2_12d.htm

[JohnyCanuck]

4. So Shrub wanted to go from hot shot, fighter pilot jet jock to mailman

Yeah right that's totally normal. Doesn't raise any question in my mind at all. And if the US taxpayers spent $1,000,000 to get him up to speed to fly an F102, who gives a rats ass? At least they would not have to spend that much money training him to deliver the mail.

[xray s]

6. Hey...the US taxpayer spends thousands to train the chimp to fly...

...and then he just ups and walks away to a frickin' postal handler unit?

I want my money back!

[Lindacooks]

12. More like a million bucks...

[Sunny_Sunshine]

10. Now, the Bush family has money, right?

Therefore, flying back to Texas from Alabama one weekend a month would not be a big deal, financially. Also, he's "working" for a family friend, so surely getting the time off could not have been an issue. So I'm totally confused, why would he even want to transfer to Alabama where he would not be using his pilot training? Oh right, I forgot, he lost his pilots license. Darn the bad luck. Even so, postal handlers? I'm trying to picture him delivering my mail in our current icy weather! Can't see it.

[Arugula Latte]

17. Welcome to DU, Sunny!

:hi: :toast:

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

11. Lots of NG and Reserve would like to do to Iraq what Bush did to TX

Leave, when they want.

[TacticalPeek]

19. Right. Just type up some honorable discharges

for anybody that wants one, and bring 'em home. Send them to Harvard.

[mainer]

20. So... isn't that DESERTION?

He left Texas against orders. He left without intending to come back. His request for a transfer was denied. I don't get why that isn't desertion.
Just because Daddy arranged an official transfer five months later, it doesn't change the fact he left AGAINST ORDERS.

[Crachet2004]

21. Conservatives are starting to turn on the Bushwhacker...

Great link! What a comparison: Bush with his IQ clearly shown on his hat while John Kerrey poses for his place on Mt. Rushmore! Good juxtaposition.

[0007]

22. We all know who can clear these little details up real fast, don't we?

Barbara Bush and Senior Bush should stand up for America. And do the right thing and lie again for their little junior.
But I suspect that they have crawled down a spider hole smaller than the one Saddam Hussein crawled out from. God! How embarrassing!! Wow! How silence these folks are these days.