Washington, D.C.
President Bush’s military file is missing several standard documents that could explain gaps in his service in the Texas Air National Guard in 1972 and 1973, the Associated Press reported this week. Bush was trained to fly F-102 fighter planes, but he was grounded after missing a 1972 physical. A form was required whenever a pilot skipped a physical, but none appears in Bush’s records. There is also no paperwork confirming that Bush attended mandatory counseling sessions after missing five months of training in 1972. Bush has said that he met his Guard obligations, and that the military granted him an early but honorable discharge in 1973 so he could attend Harvard Business School. “I’m proud of my service,” Bush said.
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