George W. Bush Served As A Military Pilot

The first fact about George W. Bush is that he used to serve in millitary. Bush received his commission with the Texas Air National Guard in May 1968. He was stationed in Houston, where he flew Convair F-102s with the 147th Reconnaissance Wing out of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, following two years of training in active-duty service. Detractors, such as former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, have claimed that Bush received preferential treatment because of his father's political position as a member of the House of Representatives. They have pointed to the fact that Bush was chosen as a pilot despite receiving poor marks on the pilot aptitude test and showing erratic attendance. The Texas Air National Guard service records for Bush were disclosed by the Department of Defense in June 2005 and are still available in its official archives.

He trained with the Alabama Air National Guard's 187th Fighter Wing in late 1972 and early 1973. He had relocated to Montgomery, Alabama, to assist Republican Winton M. Blount in his failed Senate campaign. Bush's ability to fly was prohibited in 1972 because he skipped a planned physical. In 1974, Bush received a commendable discharge from the Air Force Reserve. He is still the most recent President to have participated in the American military. In the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004, his military past emerged as a campaign topic.