Even though the clamor has died down somewhat over whether or not President Bush completed his proper service commitment to the Alabama Air National Guard, the leader of the USA has decided to return to the cockpit.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan confirmed that President Bush had been training "...for a few weeks... We've installed a full motion F-16 simulator in the West Wing and the president has made good use of it. He says that the transition from the F-102 to the F-16 has not been all that difficult and is looking forward to getting back to duty as soon as possible. He wants there to be no questions as to whether he owes the American people any more military service."

The announcement has sent Washington into a bit of a tizzy, and has brought up some interesting questions about 'who outranks who' at each weekend drill session--questions that were quickly dispatched by ANG officials.

"While the former Lt. Bush was not a very senior officer the last time he flew with us," says the Alabama ANG's 187th Fighter Wing's PAO, Lt. Orville Blakey, "he sure as hell outranks us all right now."

Bush is apparently thrilled with the F-16, and is already making plans to use it for short jaunts that would have otherwise required the use of the massive and far more expensive 747.

Use of an F-16B two seater will allow Bush to be accompanied by a Secret Service Agent and a fully armed F-16 makes for an excellent personal protection system for the flying President, "...besides that," notes McClellan, "anybody who tries to take him on while he's flying, is going to find that the President is more than willing to take on the foes of democracy... if one of Bin Laden's boys gets any ideas, the President will pickle off a few "Presidential Responses" and blow that guy straight to paradise."

FMI: http://www.almont.ang.af.mil-NOT/index.html