In message , Cub Driver
writes

Agreed. Bush used family influence to get into and out of the guard.

Did he? I find no evidence of either, though I'm sure that to be the
son of a Congressman helped him along when it came to being accepted
(but not in leaving).

I think influence played a part. On the other hand, learning to fly a
F-102 isn't the easiest thing in the world[1]. And F-102s were certainly
flying operational missions in SEA, and killed a few of their pilots -
not exactly a safe cushty desk job.

Did he bail early? Alleged, unproven, but even if he did so did lots of
other folks, with no worse consequences (yes, you had a 'further
commitment' - but no, the military wasn't hunting you down to fulfil it
and seemed to have been reducing force anyway). Didn't snag a college
deferment, either (which hasn't been a barrier to US office).


I become tired of hearing pocket ideologues of either shade rant about
how one candidate's uniformed service was perfectly exemplary while the
other's was a complete disgrace, and the noise and fury of the fanatics
means I'm wary even of more measured claims.


Not my problem anyway, just an outside perspective since the debate's
inflicted on me


[1] At least a knife-point of RAM relevance.

--
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Julius Caesar I:2

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk