George W. Bush military service controversy George W. Bush's
National Guard service is an unresolved issue that first gained
widespread public attention in the 2000 presidential campaign
and in the 2004 presidential campaign. The controversy centers
on questions of how George W. Bush, who became the 43rd
President of the United States in January 2001, came to be a
member of the Texas Air National Guard, why he lost his flight
status, and whether he fulfilled the requirements of his
military service contract. George W. Bush joined the 147th
Fighter Interceptor Group of the Texas Air National Guard on May
27, 1968, during the Vietnam War. He committed to serve until
May 26, 1974, with two years on active duty while training to
fly and four years on part-time duty. In his 1968 Statement of
Intent (undated), he wrote, "I have applied for pilot training
with the goal of making flying a lifetime pursuit and I believe
I can best accomplish this to my own satisfaction by serving as
a member of the Air National Guard