"At least John Kerry served his country...
... unlike Bush and chicken Republicans..."
Dear ACP:
I see you've bought that tired old mantra still pushed by the militarily-ignorant news media, academics, and the LibDonkeyLeft.
The facts are these:
1. Bush was an officer and pilot in the Air Nat'l Guard, not a regular grunt (not to disparage ANY grunt who also did his duty).
2. To become a pilot meant that he was virtually on active duty in the U.S. Air force for over 18 months (including Officer Training school AND rigorous pilot training). And THEN his years in the A.N.G. commenced. You don't learn to fly jets doing one weekend per month.
3. Bush eventually qualified to fly the F-102 jet fighter aircraft -- and THAT is quite different than driving a helicopter or cargo a/c carrying 'taters and toilet paper to the troops.
4. If you examine the non-combat accident rate -- and mortality rate -- for the old F-102, you'll discover that it was an entirely diiferent (i.e., far more dangerous) game than the "gentlemanly weekend warrior" picture that the ever-hostile-to-Republican snots (previously mentioned) like to portray. Military aviation, in war OR peace, has always been frought with unpublicized dangers. Even during the Vietnam War, for example, I lost more squadron mates (pilots) and friends to various accidents/malfunctions than to hostile fire.
Both Republicans and Democrats have their share of Chicken-Hawks. However, when you get your facts straight and are able to tell your own @ss from Cyndy Sheehan's, you might be able to sing from a different playbook.