Its interesting that reviews of the records by different people or organizations, don't just come up with wildly different conclusions (that's to be expected in the current partisan atmosphere) but actually come up with very different "facts".
It is clear that Bush earned more points for service then he needed over his entire enlistment. Its also clear that he recieved an honorable discharge in 1973. The last day he was paid for guard duty was The last day he was paid for Guard duty was July 30, 1973.
According to MSNBC
"He was placed on inactive Guard duty six months before his commitment ended at his request because he was starting Harvard Business School. He was honorably discharged."
msnbc.msn.com
The main controversy was about whether Bush reguarly attended drills in Alabama. From the same story -
"Bill Calhoun, 69, of Atlanta, was a lieutenant colonel at Dannelly Air National Guard Base near Montgomery at the same Bush was posted there. Calhoun, whose name was supplied to The Associated Press by a Republican close to Bush, told the AP that Bush showed up for drills with the the 187th TAC Recon Group on at least six occasions.
Bush and Calhoun had been trained as fighter pilots, and Calhoun said the two would swap "war stories" and even eat lunch together on base.
“He was very aggressive about doing his duty there. He never complained about it,” Calhoun said. “... He was very dedicated to what he was doing in the Guard. He showed up on time, and he left at the end of the day.”
''I see no evidence or indication in the documents that he was given permission to forgo training before the end of his obligation. If he signed that document, he should have fulfilled his obligation."
Bush's ARF retirement summary shows that he placed on Inactive Status" as of September 15, 1973. So it would seem that he was not required to finish out his full enlistment. This would make sense considering the fact that he already had the points required for his full enlistment and because even people without the points required where being let go at the time. It was easy for pilots to get out of the service in 1973 because there were too many pilots both active and reserve/guard. When Vietnam started winding down a lot of the active pilots tried to get guard or reserve slots, others active or not had to "fly desks" and for the most part were no longer needed by the military.
Also see
foxnews.com
and
"On the other hand, showing up for drills was still meeting one's responsibility to the Guard. And, as 1973 went along, the evidence suggests that Bush stepped up his work to make up for the time he had missed earlier. In April of that year, he received credit for two days; in May, he received credit for 14 days; in June, five days; and in July, 19 days. That was the last service Bush performed in the Guard. Later that year, he asked for and received permission to leave the Guard early so he could attend Harvard Business School. He was given an honorable discharge after serving five years, four months, and five days of his original six-year commitment.
The records indicate that, despite his move to Alabama, Bush met his obligation to the Guard in the 1972-73 year. At that time, Guardsmen were awarded points based on the days they reported for duty each year. They were given 15 points just for being in the Guard, and were then required to accumulate a total of 50 points to satisfy the annual requirement. In his first four years of service, Bush piled up lots of points; he earned 253 points in his first year, 340 in his second, 137 in his third, and 112 in his fourth. For the year from May 1972 to May 1973, records show Bush earned 56 points, a much smaller total, but more than the minimum requirement (his service was measured on a May-to-May basis because he first joined the Guard in that month in 1968).
Bush then racked up another 56 points in June and July of 1973, which met the minimum requirement for the 1973-74 year, which was Bush's last year of service. Together, the record "clearly shows that First Lieutenant George W. Bush has satisfactory years for both '72-'73 and '73-'74, which proves that he completed his military obligation in a satisfactory manner," says retired Lt. Col. Albert Lloyd, a Guard personnel officer who reviewed the records at the request of the White House.
All in all, the documents show that Bush served intensively for four years and then let up in his fifth and sixth years, although he still did enough to meet Guard requirements. The records also suggest that Bush's superiors were not only happy with his performance from 1968 to 1972, but also happy with his decision to go to Alabama. Indeed, Bush's evaluating officer wrote in May 1972 that "Lt. Bush is very active in civic affairs in the community and manifests a deep interest in the operation of our government. He has recently accepted the position as campaign manager for a candidate for United States Senate. He is a good representative of the military and Air National Guard in the business world."
Beyond their apparent hope that Bush would be a good ambassador for the Guard, Bush's superiors might have been happy with his decision to go into politics for another reason: They simply had more people than they needed. "In 1972, there was an enormous glut of pilots," says Campenni. "The Vietnam War was winding down, and the Air Force was putting pilots in desk jobs. In '72 or '73, if you were a pilot, active or Guard, and you had an obligation and wanted to get out, no problem. In fact, you were helping them solve their problem."
nationalreview.com
washtimes.com
shotinthedark.info
New Evidence Supports Bush Military Service (Mostly)
Newly released records reflect payments and credits for Air National Guard service meeting minimum requirements, despite a six-month gap.
factcheck.org
Timeline of Bush's service from AP via MSNBC
Jan. 19, 1968
Bush completes Air Force officer qualifications test in New Haven, Conn., while attending Yale University.
May 27, 1968
Walter B. Staudt, commander of the Texas National Guard, interviews Bush and recommends he be accepted for pilot training. Bush’s application for enlistment in the Guard is approved.
June 1968
Bush receives bachelor of arts degree from Yale.
July 12, 1968
A three-member Federal Recognition Examining Board reports Bush is qualified for promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.
July 14, 1968
Bush attends basic military training in San Antonio.
Aug. 25, 1968
Completes basic military training.
Nov. 26, 1968 - Dec. 2, 1969
Attends undergraduate pilot training with the 3559th Student Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga. He is trained to fly standard Air Force aircraft, including the T-31, T-37, and T-39.
Dec. 29, 1969 - Jan. 20, 1970
Trainee, 111th Squadron, Ellington Air Force Base, near Houston.
Jan. 11, 1970
Assigned flying duty as a pilot of F-102 fighter interceptors, 111th Squadron at Ellington.
Aug. 24, 1970
Three-member board recommends 2nd Lt. Bush for promotion to first lieutenant. Bush later receives the promotion.
1971
Participates in drills and alerts at Ellington. Begins work for Houston-based agricultural company.
May 1972
Bush asks for and receives permission to continue his duties in Alabama while he works as political director on the Senate campaign of Winton M. Blount, a friend of his father. Loses flight credentials after missing physical exam.
Sept. 6, 1972
Bush’s request for a three-month transfer to 187th TAC Recon Group, Montgomery, Ala. is approved so he can work as political director for a Senate campaign.
November 1972
Bush returns to his unit at Ellington in Texas.
May-July 1973
Participates in non-flying drills at Ellington. Works at inner-city poverty program earlier in the year.
Sept. 18, 1973
Bush receives permission to transfer to reserve status and is placed on inactive guard duty about six months before six-year commitment ends. Attends Harvard Business School in the fall.
Oct. 1, 1973
Receives honorable discharge |
