On 7 Sep 2004 15:43:13 -0000, er
(Agamemnon) wrote:

In article
(Typhoon502) wrote:

(Transition Zone) wrote in message
. com...

Really ?? Then why did Bush's commanders utter this
statement about his attendance ??

"[He] has not been observed".

That's not equivalent to "absent" or "AWOL", though. I know
I've had days at work where my boss never sees me. That statement can't
qualify as proof of GWB not serving his duty.

Spin 'til you're dizzy -- that's just exactly what it means.

In the military, when a person's rating officer does not observe
him, it means that that person never showed up.

Sorry, but lack of military experience is showing here. Performance
reports are generated for a number of reasons, usually periodic (at
least one per year) or a change of command. They are done if a minimum
time has elapsed and are required, even in unusual circumstances.

When an individual assigned to a supervisor is in a detached
operation--such as an extended temporary duty assignment or possibly a
school/training post--then the individual in the chain of command who
is responsible for completing the report simply enters, "not
observed."

Sometimes it is the ratee that isn't observed and sometimes it is the
rater that is not in a position to observe. Either way it is routine
and doesn't indicated any AWOL condition.

Absent any orders authorizing such absence (orders which haven't
been found), that means the person is Abdent WithOut Leave.

Here's a bit of militarese for you: "Exigencies of the service, having
been such as to preclude the issuance of competent written orders in
advance, the verbal orders of the commander are hereby confirmed."

What does that mean? It means that I went away for a weekend
cross-country in an AF airplane without orders (other than a flight
order), so when it comes time to pay me per diem for my expenses, an
official order is issued much later. Was I AWOL? Absolutely not.

All of which would be of little importance if it weren't for the
fact that the shirker in question is trying to denigrate the
military service of a decorated combat veteran for political
advantage.

No, no, no. What most of us are trying to do is point out the
inconsistencies of the war resister who know wants to wrap himself in
the flag of heroism. Either position can be respected, but both
simultaneously cannot be reconciled.


He's done it to John McCain and Max Cleland, too.

Sorry, no. Both of those individuals were respected--McCain for his
heroism and Cleland for his physical loss (non-combat). Both were
highlighted for their political positions which were inconsistent with
their campaign platforms. It's called political campaigning.

George 'WMD' Bush is a despicable piece of human excrement.

Your opinion is, of course, yours. But, you've not done much in terms
of supporting it with fact.

And even that isn't as bad as the fact that he presided over the
largest loss of life to terrorists on US soil because he 'wasn't
interested in bin Laden and didn't want to hear about him',

(That would have been Clinton in '96)

declared that bin Laden 'isn't my priority' even after he
struck,

(That would have been the WTC attack in '92)

alienated all of America's potential allies

(That would be France and Germany?)

when he
invaded a country in a fit of pique based on a series of clumsy
lies,

(That would have been based on the same intelligence accepted by
Kerry, Blair, the UN, et. al.?)

destroyed the US economy by turning a trillion dollar
surplus into a trillion dollar deficit,

(That would be if 9/11 hadn't had a significant and presidentially
uncontrollable impact on the economy. Today, inflation is lower than
Clinton's best year, mortgage rates are lower than Clinton's best
year, unemployment is lower than during Clinton's "full employment"
best year, and the Dow is almost back to where it was before 9/11.)

and generally screwing
the pooch with everything he's ever tried.

Like tax cuts, Afghanistan, the economy, defeat of Sadaam....

I cannot imagine that there's anyone stupid enough to actually
vote for him.

Right now more than 11% points higher than your candidate--it seems
that an agenda is worth more to the American voter than a garbled and
arguably traitorous history.




Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
"Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights"
Both from Smithsonian Books
***www.thunderchief.org