SwiftVets.com

[ASPB]

With little proof save for the conspiracy theories of an obese low-budget filmmaker and a professional hack at the Democrat National Committee, the left-leaning national press corps moved Heaven and earth to get to the bottom of the gaps in President Bush’s military service record.

The White House complied, releasing pay records and other peripheral evidence that Bush had indeed served in the Alabama National Guard during the time in question. The press was -- and remains – unsatisfied, though the gaps in the president’s service record can almost certainly be chalked up to bureaucratic paperwork screw-ups.

Not so with the record of President George W. Bush’s rival for the presidency, Senator John Forbes Kerry. An anonymous source has brought to our attention a yawning hole in the decorated veteran’s service record. It is time for Kerry to answer the questions President Bush was forced to answer. It is time for John Kerry to answer the big question:

Did you go AWOL from the Naval Reserves?

We at www.crushkerry.com have remained relatively mum on the issue of Vietnam and John Kerry’s service record when compared to other anti-Kerry websites. Indeed, heretofore, we’ve been content to aver merely that while Kerry fought with bravery in Vietnam he acted in shame upon returning home. But we had no idea the depth of the problem before the junior Senator from Massachusetts.

John Kerry signed an agreement as part of his naval officer commission to serve at least 3 years on active duty and the remainder of his obligated 6 year service in the Ready Reserves. Ready Reserves are those who must attend drills.

It bears repeating: Kerry obligated himself to at least 3 years active duty, and the remainder of his 6 year obligation in the Ready (not Standby) Reserves.

He further agreed that while in the Ready Reserves (from discharge to 1972) he would perform no less than 48 drills per year and up to 17 active duty days per year, or alternatively, 30 active duty days per year.

None of Kerry’s released records shows any evidence of his performing these Ready Reserve obligated days in 1970 through 1972, after which he was transferred to the Inactive Reserves. The only Performance of Duty form released covers 1966. There should be one for every year.

Nor is there any excusal from drilling status in his records, or alternatively, pay and attendance records indicating that he performed any drills in 1970-72 as required of a Ready Reservist.

It was George Bush's alleged non-performance of his obligated reserve duty that caused all the furor last February, yet Kerry apparently cannot show his performance of his obligated Reserve duty.

The Kerry campaign has said that his separation from active duty put him in the inactive, non-drilling Naval Reserve so he could run for Congress. This is NOT true, as follows:

Kerry’s transfer from the Ready Reserves to the Standby (Inactive) reserves did not occur until March 1972, NOT upon his release from Active Duty to run for Congress (1969/70).

Furthermore, Kerry’s official transfer from the Ready Reserves to the Standby (Inactive) Reserves was not formalized until July 1972.

Contrary to what Kerry's campaign flacks say, the wording on his Release from Active Duty (to run for Congress) does NOT put him in the Inactive Reserves - it puts him in Inactive Duty status, which includes Ready Reserves with attendant drill obligation. BIG difference - though the confusion is understandable.

According to our source, the legal specifics that counter Kerry’s word trickery pits a Title 10 duty (Active Duty) Green Card vs. Title 32 duty (Inactive Duty) Red Card. Did Kerry have a Green Card or a Red Card?

We are beginning to see a pattern of obfuscation and deceit by the Kerry campaign. Are they intentionally using the tortured language of the military bureaucracy as a cover up?

Had Kerry been placed in the Inactive Reserves in 1970 upon his release from Active Duty, as Kerry's people suggest, there would not have been the 1972 Transfer to the Standby Reserves form we show above - he would have already been there.

Also, if the timing of these records is correct, as a drilling Ready Reserve naval officer, in 1970-72 he was somewhat restricted by military regulations in what comments he could make in public regarding statements on the military leadership and the National Command Authority. Yet this is the period of his most public protests and anti-war demonstrations.

In fact, his hairdo alone in the 1970-72 period would not meet Navy standards, and he would be sent home from drill if he had ever attended one.

We at crushkerry.com suggest the fun is over in the presidential campaign of 2004. John Kerry’s people have called President Bush a deserter. The White House has called Kerry a flip-flopper who’s soft on defense. All great fun. But we’re drawing ever closer to decision time and it’s beginning to appear that while John Kerry was slandering his fellow Vietnam Veterans at the Winter Soldier Investigation and on the floor of the U.S. Senate, he may have been AWOL from the Naval Reserves.

John Kerry’s service record is an onion, with each layer stinkier than the previous one. So stinky, in fact, there’s probably a Pulitzer for a brave journalist with the courage to dig to its core.

Hattip: CrushKerry.com
_________________
On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB

[stop kerry]

I've seen this question about kerry's reserve duty during the time he was in theVVAW 70-71 and am wondering how it can be that no records exist??? I remember talk about a red card vrs. a blue card on crush kerry site and when he was mustered out into in-active reserveres was 1975??? if true that he was active reserve while protesting what would that mean for kerry. Does he control the records or are they available as public records from the local draft board etc.
Thanks
stop kerry

[llano]

Kerry's status is well documented in Unfit for Command. And Corsi makes some very good points about his protesting and such while Kerry was still actually in the Navy Reserves (pages 161 thru 165).

Kerry was always in the Navy Reserves.

--18 Feb 1966, Enlisted, USNR (inactive)
--19 Aug 1966, Commence active duty as OCIU2 (E-5)
--15 Dec 1966, Honorably Discharged as an OCIU2 to accept commission in USNR
--16 Dec 1966, Accepted Commission, Ensign, USNR, active duty continued
--16 Jun 1968, Date of rank to Lt JG, USNR
--1 Jan 1970, Date of rank to Lt., USNR
--3 Jan 1970, released from active duty, transferred to the Naval Reserve (inactive)
--1 Jul 1972, transferred to the Stanby Reserve (inactive)
--16 Feb 1978, Honorably Discharged from USNR as Lt (O-3)
_________________
Home in Lubbock Texas, home of the Vietnam Project at Texas Tech University. A place visited frequently by Navy Chief.

[air_vet]

[CeeBeeBratPH]

Me thinks this is starting to become one of those Goose/Gander exercises. The "missing" time period seems a lot like his later years in the Senate -- "missing inaction".

Heads held high, keep on pushing the truth envelope!

[air_vet]

[jwb7605]

[BuzzCreek49]

Y'all clear up the USNR confusion. ALL current commisions (and most past commissions) in Navy are USNR. USNR-R would be inactive reserve officers with a red card. USNR officers are active under an obligated period of time (with a "blue" card) and then revert to USNR-R and "red" card again when obligation is over. It is different from the reserve structure for enlisted. To become USN .. oficer .. you almost have to be 'invited' to be a member of the career officer club. It's a career thing. This is NOT giving Kerry an slack. Keep up the pressure. Just that there appears to be a misconception of what USNR and USN are ... not to mention USNR-R and the the National Guard... which I have no clue how it works... Vic ... USNR_R_R_R ... been out since 1974. WAs active three years as USNR and a Vietnam Vet.
_________________
Vic
vic@grade-a.com

[jataylor11]

Certainly a Swift Vet knows how this worked.

Until I see otherwise I will believe (just a the ABB crowd believed) that Kerry was AWOL from his reserve duty requirements.

Kerry must sign Form 180. Sounds like impeachment grounds for a POTUS Kerry (shudder) already exist.

[jataylor11]

Certainly a Swift Vet knows how this worked.

Until I see otherwise I will believe (just a the ABB crowd believed) that Kerry was AWOL from his reserve duty requirements.

Kerry must sign Form 180. Sounds like impeachment grounds for a POTUS Kerry (shudder) already exist.