Reserves and Guard during Vietnam War: One in the same or different

In my last column I said Bush served in the "reserves" ... he actually served in the Texas Air National Guard and I always like to be precise with the facts and don't mind correcting this.

Here is the column:
http://www.swnewsherald.com/news_inside/2008/07/072508cs_rh_gov.php

Here is an email exchange with a very correct Military Officer on the topic:

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Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 9:25 AM
To: rayhanania@comcast.net
Subject: Re Naive Governor Makes Offer to Help Chicago (UNCLASSIFIED)

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Mr. Hanania,

Regarding your piece, "Naive Governor Makes Offer to Help Chicago" I'm not asking for a correction in "print, but would simply like to offer one correction.

While I will not presume to challenge your opinion as to President Bush's motivation behind joining, the statement below is technicaly incorrect.

George W. Bush was in fact a member of the Texas Air National Guard, not the reserves.

I basically just thought you would like to know.

"Bush served in the National Guard's sister group, the Reserves, during the late 1960s to avoid serving on the frontlines in Vietnam."

Thanks.
Randal D. Noller
National Guard Bureau Office of Public Affairs
Randal.Noller@us.army.mil
www.ngb.army.mil

We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.
- John W. Gardner

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
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You are absolutely correct ... he was a member of the Texas Air National Guard not the reserves, although the point is irrelevent because eveeryone knows that the ONLY way to get into the Guard or the Reserves was through clout and that once in, you could continue college (or campaigning forcandidates) and AVOID serving on the frontlines in Vietnam during the height of the war. That is NOT the same situation as you know where today's all volunteer military relies on Guard and Reserve service. I served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War and our F-111 Base stateside supported Vietnam based units and fortunately, we were not chosen to go overseas ... and then I served in the Illinois Air National Guard for 10 years after the war ended. thanks for your point, but like I said, there is no difference between the Guard and the Reserves in the context of what they were used for during the height of the Vietnam War. thanks very much for your clarification
Ray Hanania