"'. . . required by Air National Guard rules and regulations' - Interpreted by who?"

By the Air National Guard, of course!

Teribus, you keep trying to equate the National Guard—which is a state militia—with the regular national military, i.e., U. S. Army, U. S. Air Force, etc. There are number of differences in regulations, practice, and status of members. National Guard members are civilians who sign up to take military training and engage in training drills and maneuvers during specific weekends per month, and the member is often required to attend a two-week period each year in addition to the assigned weekends. Joining the National Guard is, essentially, like signing a contract to serve over a specified period of time and meet specified obligations. High on that list of obligations is, of course, regular attendance.

As I say, these are state organizations, not "national" (despite the name). The National Guard is essentially a state militia, and as such, is under the authority of the State governor. In times of national emergency, however, they can be called up to serve with the regular military.

A state governor can call up the local National Guard in, say, times of "civil unrest," as happened a number of times during the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and in Seattle a few years back to assist the Seattle Police Department when the WTO demonstrations got out of hand. More frequently they are called up for other kinds of emergencies, for example, following hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, to help maintain order (prevent looting, for example) and to lend whatever service—frequently, humanitarian service—they can. During the recent devastating wind-spread brush fires in Southern California, the National Guard filled in, assisting beleaguered fire-fighters.

Many state governors are very unhappy with the Bush and his war in Iraq because he has called up the National Guard to supplement the national military (it's my understanding that most of the troops in Iraq are not regular Army, but National Guardsmen—and women), and depleted the National Guard forces when needed by the States themselves. And many of the National Guardsmen themselves find, after being re-upped repeatedly, that they have been essentially drafted into the regular army when that is not what they signed up for.

Teribus, you keep alluding to your military service and your presumed knowledge thereof, and question me as to whether I have served in the military myself. No, I have not. Due to polio at the age of two, I was not physically able to serve in the military (although, for a period of time, my draft classification was 1-Y – draftable in times of national emergency).

However, I have friends and relatives who have served in the military. Notably germane to the current discussion, my sister's husband flew with the Montana Air National Guard. He flew out of Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Montana, where he and my sister were living at the time. He flew Northrup F-89 Scorpions. When he had served out his obligation to the Montana Air National Guard, he took his experience flying fighter-jets and applied to Northwest Airlines where he trained on multi-engine jets, then worked as a pilot for Northwest Airlines for many years. He retired a few years ago. Anything I want to know about Air National Guard regulations, all I need to do is pick up the telephone, and call John. He and my sister live just across Lake Washington from me.

John and I have talked about this matter a number of times, so I know what the regulations call for. And there are documents detailing Bush's absences from required meetings and training drills, and most notably, the required annual physical exam, which got him grounded. These documents have been linked to repeatedly, but you apparently refuse to read or credit them or even acknowledge that they exist.

As has been pointed out repeatedly to you, Bush was the son of a very wealthy and influential family, and his father was a senator at the time. This was what got Bush into the Air National Guard in the first place, jumping a line of some 500 other applicants, and kept him from facing the draft and possibly being sent to Vietnam. It also kept him from having to face the consequences of his dereliction of duty and possible court-martial. This, and the fact that the National Guard doesn't not always operate the same way the regular military does. One officer who was acquainted with the problems with Bush commented on the flak they would have got from the senator if they decided to press charges, and said that they were just "glad to get rid of him."

Now I presume that your next dodge is to point out that my brother-in-law was in the Montana Air National Guard and that Bush was in the Texas Air National Guard, therefore anything my brother-in-law says does not apply to Bush.

You apparently have your head in the sand. On in some other dark location.

You simply do not know what you are talking about, and are trying to make excuses for Bush. God only knows why!

Don Firth