A Compendium on Bush's National Guard service (including the recent AP BS)

Betsy points to an Associated Press report on "finding a gap" in President Bush's National Guard service. As Betsy points out:

Basically, it seems that his commanders didn't fill out the paperwork when Bush missed his check up. Somehow, this is spun as a suspicious hole in Bush's records perhaps caused by Bush himself.

I am waiting for the detailed story about all the military records that Kerry has not yet released - the almost 100 pages from his records that haven't been released. And they can throw in his medical records, Senate Intelligence Committee closed-door attendance records, his wife's financial records, and his military diaries.

Touche, Betsy!

Following up on Betsy's last paragraph, Just One Minute expands on the issues Kerry needs to clear up and the records he needs to release. His commenters add a few more items.

Now... for clarifications on the Bush/TANG issue, read the following item by Capt. Ed, this item by Aero Space Web, and the Washington Times articles here and here.

UPDATED: For even more info on Bush's National Guard service, read this as well. Also this post by Captain Ed. And to get a clue about the type of plane Bush flew all those years, there's this info from Winds of Change:

F-102s: Dangerous Service
by Joe Katzman at September 7, 2004 06:00 PM

When President Bush was in the Air National Guard, his unit flew F-102A "Delta Daggers". Some members of that unit even flew them in Vietnam, but a certain amount of flight time was required and the planes weren't all that useful; the Air Force soon stopped putting F-102 Air National Guard pilots in theatre. This is all well known. John Weidner of Random Jottings has the operational history of the F-102 in Vietnam, overlaid with a timeline of George W. Bush's service.

Even so, I wouldn't exactly call flying F-102s safe. Flying jets is always dangerous, but some planes are inherently more dangerous and earn reputations as "widowmakers" (i.e. B-26 Marauder, CF-104 Starfighter, etc.). So, how dangerous was the F-102? Lt. Sparky has the stats, and compares them to other aircraft:

* F-102As Manufactured: 875 (Appx. 200 sold to Luftwaffe, NATO allies, etc.)
* Class A Mishaps (1953-1981): 357. Class A Mishaps are accidents which result in a fatality or at least $1 million in damage.
* Destroyed Aircraft (1953-1981): 259
* Pilots Killed (1957-1973): 70