"Lawrence Dillard" wrote in message ...
"JD" wrote in message
news:nPQWb.15337$jk2.51376@attbi_s53...
The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com
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SNIP
Published February 11, 2004
'Bush and I were lieutenants'
George Bush and I were lieutenants and pilots in the 111th Fighter
Interceptor Squadron (FIS), Texas Air National Guard (ANG) from 1970 to
1971.
SNIP
Not quite; as the Colonel relates below, he "stayed the course" of the
Guard's transition, whereas GWB did not.
It is quite frustrating to hear the daily cacophony from the left and
Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, et al., about Lt. Bush escaping
his
military responsibilities by hiding in the Texas ANG. In the Air Guard
during the Vietnam War, you were always subject to call-up, as many Air
National Guardsmen are finding out today.
With respect, the ANGs of that time mostly bore no resemblance to today's
ANG's, especially in terms of preparation, and in integration with active
service components; I find it a bit disingenuous of GWB to try to link his
service in an air-defense cadre, which was highly unlikely to be called to
serve in Viet Nam, with those men and women who have served in the Guards in
the years since the ending of the Cold War.
Nope, Sorry. That's completely incorrect.
Air National Guard Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons not only had to
train to the same standards of Combat Readines as their Regular
Air Force counterparts, they had also, since 1954, been standing
the same Zulu Alert commitments aas the regulars as well. They
were an integral part of Air Defence Command's (ADTAC, later on)
force structure. Since the early 1960s, in fact, with the drawdown
in Regular Air Force Air Defence assets, they had been the majority
of the full-time Air Defences of the Continental U.S.. Essentially,
the Air Guard Fighter Interceptor Squadrons were, since 1954,
already called up for Federal Service, acting under Air FOrce orders,
and integrated into the Air Force command structure.
And they didn't take a back seat to anybody. Air Guard units
consistantly won or placed highly in their categories at the
William Tell Fighter Weapons Competitions.
SNIP - Much stuff unrealted.
During the Colonel's tenure in the Guard, there was a collective sea-change
in the ambit of responsibilities and in the seriousness of its preparation
and readiness for active service.
That's also certainly not the case. All you have to do is look at
the record:
During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, many National Guard units were
called up. Withing 2 weeks of callup, an Air Guard Tactical Fighter
Wing, with a combat element of 3 Tactical Fighter Squadrons of F-86Hs
re-opened Phalsbourg AB, France.
3 more Tactical Fighter Squadrons of F-84Fs operated from the
re-activated Chaumont AB, Toul-Rosieres AB, and Chambley AB.
A Tactical Recon Squadron flying F-84Fs deplowed to Dreux AB.
2 Air Guard FIghter Interceptor Squadrons, flying F-104As,
deployed to Ramstein AB. A further FIS, also with the F-104A,
deployed to Moron AB, Spain. The F-84Fs sat Victor Alert, which
is runway alert with pilots in the cockpits, and nuclear weapons
loaded.
Stateside, 3 Tactical Fighter Wings, (3 Squadrons each), and
a Tactical Reconnaisance Wing were activated, as well as
8 Heavy Air Transport Squadrons, which flew global airlift
missions from their home bases. All of these units were
activated for more than 1 year.
Note that during the Cuban Misssile Crisis, no Air Guard
Fighter-Interceptor units were called up. They didn't have
to be - they were already on alert.
After the Cuban Missile Crisis, noting the shortfall of
the Military Air Transport Service's ability to meet its
commitments, Air Guard Air Transport Squadrons (Military
Airlift Squadrons after Jan 1966, when MAC was formed)
volunteered to fly as part of the regular MAC rotation.
This usually meant hauling stuff to Viet Nam or Thailand.
(In fact, the first Air Rescue Service helicopters to deploy
to Southest Asia went out on Air Guard C-97s).
Air Guard transport units also provided aircraft and crews to
various Non-Governmental Organizations (International Red Cross,
World Church Aid, etc.) flying humanitarian flights into the trouble
spots in Africa and Asia, such as Biafra.
Air guard units participated in the Dominican Republic airdrops
in 1965.
During the Pueblo Crisis of 1968, Air Guard units were also
called up. Tactical Fighter units flying F-100s deplowed to
Viet Nam and Korea, and a Tactical Reconnaisance Wing with
RF-101s deployed to Japan. Palace Guard, which placed
Air Guard pilots in active units worldwide has already been
mentioned.
Not much of a "Sea Change" there, at least for the
Air National Guard.
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Pete Stickney