Here's the deal on GWB's early out from the Air Guard:

First, his father was a Naval Aviator in WWII; he was not in the Guard.

GWB was a fighter pilot for the Texas Air Nat'l Guard.  He was in a unit flying F-102 fighters.  The F-102 was being taken out of service, as it was an old plane even back then.  Like is very common in Guard units even today, pilots with less than about 1.5 years to go in their service committment are usually offered an early out when the unit changes airplanes.  It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to train a pilot for a new airplane.  It's far less expensive to let a "short termer" get out early than to train him/her for a new airplane that they will then only fly in the unit for a short time until they get out at te end of their normal committment.

The same thing happened in our Guard unit, when we switched from A-7 fighters, when they were taken out of srevice, and the unit bacame a tanker unit flying KC-135s.  Many of the piltos were offered an early out, and most took it, rather than have the gov't spend the money to re-train fighter pilots to fly heavy, multi-engine tankers.

Nothing at all unusual took place regarding GWB's early out.

Serowbot wrote on 09/24/10 at 10:59:47:





STOPPITT! My legs sore from slappin it..

Yep, aint that something? Got in the Guard, flying an obsolete plane, while the contract for the replacement was most likely signed, so, whoever assigned him to that unit may well have done so to make his tour short enough to keep him happy. Just a thot, not that thers ever any hanky panky in dc

GWB didn't show up for a lot of his reserve meeting,You know like no show George.

Its according to who your daddy is if its a big deal or not.

How about the rest of the Guard pilots of that time?

Better yet, how about those who refused to join anything, certainly guaranteed to remain in the USA, like a certain guy from Arkansas who later became POTUS?

"In May 1968, American soldiers were dying in combat in Southeast Asia at a rate of about 350 per week. George W. Bush was twelve days away from losing his student draft deferment (meaning that he?d be eligible for draft into the Vietnam War) when he abruptly decided that he should join the 147th Fighter Group of the Texas Air National Guard. In spite of the very long waiting list and having only scored the lowest acceptable grade on the pilot aptitude qualification test, this son of a Houston-based congressman managed to enlist on the same day that he applied, and a special ceremony was staged so he could be photographed swearing in for duty (a second special photo opportunity was arranged when Bush was commissioned a second lieutenant as Bush?s father the congressman [a supporter of the Vietnam War] stood proudly in the background). According to Shrub?s former commanding officer, Bush ?said he wanted to fly just like his daddy.? Other members of the Texas Air National Guard at the time included the aide to the speaker of the Texas House and at least seven members of the Dallas Cowboys professional football team; Bush?s 147th Fighter Group was known as the "Champagne Unit" because it also included the sons of future Senator Lloyd Bentsen and Texas Governor John Connally. "

The Champagne Unit,  for the very special with family influence... ...

bill67 wrote on 09/24/10 at 11:52:09:


I think he voted "present" for all of those........