Just One Minute has a posting on the Imus interview of Kerry. In it he was asked about signing 180 form. This is how JOM described it:

"Imus did ask about Kerry's failure to sign a Form 180, which would waive his privacy rights to his military file. Kerry's response - it's all been put on his website."

Now it is well known there is exaggeration in that response. But I have been thinking about that for a while. I finally posted to a comment somewhere on that but can't find it now. And I am looking rather than reconstructing right now. Until I find, I'll just leave as this - other than the medical records, what if it is true? Is someone else responsible for authorizing release of documents in which Kerry was a participant and not the OiC? Would that explain why the early documents are still not released? I don't know; it is just a thought.

Going to find the comment now.

Update: I found it. It was on an earlier JOM post.

"And maybe someone could take heart from this and dig up the after-action reports for March 18-19 1969"

Something has been bothering me for the last month and maybe there are answers somewhere, but I haven't found it. Why are the after-action reports Kerry's? There were, at times 4 other swiftboat commanders, not to mention up to 25 others on some of these missions. I can't believe they are Kerry's to 180 Form, but not anyone else. Are these just in Kerry's service file? I doubt it, but if in his file why not also the other boat commanders' files. If so, or if they are in a 'joint file' or a 'division file' couldn't anyone from the division at the time request or 180 them.

On the other hand, could it be based who was OiC of the mission? Would it then be possible that Kerry has all his out there and the others can be released when other OiC's 180 them?

I would think it should have been easy to get the CAAR's for the first few weeks Kerry, say Nov and early Dec. He was a rookie and others were in charge.

Kerry's approval for release of his medical records are the only I can understand.

I suspect a lot of the documents could be gotten by other legitimate procedural means.