[Rhodes22-list] (Political) For Bill -Military credentials the Republican

[ed kroposki]

* G.W. Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (in four).

	Since I was in the Air Force approximately during the same time, I
have a problem with all the attacks on the above.  I also had a six year
commitment but only served four.  In fact many who had that six year
commitment during that time typically served three and one half years.  Why?
Because they did not want to retrain people who indicated they did not want
to make the military a career.  At about three years of service during that
time they sat down and asked you.  If you wanted to stay, you had to commit
for four additional years after retraining.  Doing what I did, they would
not let me retrain to another job.  In fact they guaranteed that I would do
the same job for the next three to four years, as a minimum.  

	While the Air Force, Air Reserve and Air Guard needed pilots, after
your initial tour, they would only retrain those wanting to stay into new
aircraft.  Bush flew the Delta Dagger.  Why was the Delta Dagger in the Air
Guard.  I know the answer.  It was obsolete, a clunker and getting very
dangerous to fly.  I believe there were only two units flying them during
Bush's time.  I know the units had great difficulty maintaining sufficient
number of planes flyable too keep the pilots staying proficient.  The truth
was that those pilots who were going to stay got first shot at the flyable
planes to maintain their career status.

	I know about the planes because, while I was not an Air Force Pilot,
I was a pilot.  I worked with and talked to pilots all the time.  I
personally was involved in the recovery of a F-105 pilot who flamed out.
The F-105 was a fighter bomber whose inventory was cleared out in Viet Nam.
It was replaced by the Phantom.

	For Bill to suggest that after three years flying the F-102, Bush
should have been retrained to fly another aircraft shows a complete lack of
understanding of how things worked during that time.  He had three years in,
if he could not maintain his flying status after that, the pilots that
wanted the time understood.  The commanding officers understood the
rotation.  After three years it was typical to be assigned FYIGMO duty.  

	As Rummy said things were winding down.  I worked doing my assigned
job up until two days before my release from active duty only because
releasing me to non relative duty would have caused readiness problems.
Many of my contemporaries had elected to leave at 3 1/2 years.  Until I saw
my release orders, I was not certain I would get out on the day I elected,
but since I volunteered to stay the last six months they did not pressure
me.

	 In summary, the F-102, Delta Dagger was a supersonic jet fighter.
It was an early supersonic jet.  It was put into the Guard because they
could not keep it flying in the regular Air Force.  At that point in the
aircraft's life it was dangerous to fly when it could fly.  He deserved the
Air Force Cross for flying it as long as he did.  

	Bill get right on the subject!

Ed K