Danr, Read your link about W and while I know he used family connections to avoid combat, in the short term his unit could have been sent overseas never the less. We had a saying in the service, "Those who sit and wait also serve." Albiet it was a cushy job with the national guard, you have to take into account the time of his service and what the US was doing over there at the time. My point is that he served never the less. How many rich families have not done the same. I do not agree with his politics at the present but he is still our elected President and we should still back him since there are wolves at the door. To all of our proud national guard members presently serving, please do not take my statement in the negative. Times were different back then.