Childhood to mid-life
Main article: Early life of George W. Bush
Early life and education
Beginning in the fall of 1973, Bush attended the Harvard Business School, where he earned a Master of Business Administration. He is the only U.S. President to have earned an M.B.A.[37]
Texas Air National Guard
See also: George W. Bush military service controversy
Lt. George W. Bush while in the Texas Air National Guard
In May 1968, Bush was commissioned into the Texas Air National Guard.[38] After two years of active-duty service while training,[39] he was assigned to Houston, flying Convair F-102s with the 147th Reconnaissance Wing out of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.[38][40] Critics, including former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, have alleged that Bush was favorably treated due to his father's political standing as a member of the House of Representatives, citing his selection as a pilot despite his low pilot aptitude test scores and his irregular attendance.[41] In June 2005, the United States Department of Defense released all the records of Bush's Texas Air National Guard service, which remain in its official archives.[42]
In late 1972 and early 1973, he drilled with the 187th Fighter Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard, having moved to Montgomery, Alabama to work on the unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Winton M. Blount.[43][44] In 1972, Bush was suspended from flying for failure to take a scheduled physical exam.[45] He was honorably discharged from the Air Force Reserve on November 21, 1974.[