General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAny chance Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had a mental issue when he walked away?
He just had PTSD too early? How are people so sure he is a deserter/traitor?
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)Trying to join the French Foreign Legion (I mean...???), no career plans, just odd jobs...seems like just one of many young male drifters in life who latch on to the military for structure, a paycheck, and some excitement. Most of those turn out OK. I think he was prone to idealism and then disillusionment, may have been a poor fit for the military, emotionally or socially, and was just primed for trouble after 6 months of being in or near combat.
arthritisR_US
(7,269 posts)he went on his walk? Compounding the mental issues that were already building?
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)witness some traumatic happenings. He spoke about children getting run over by armored vehicles and fellow soldiers laughing about it. Come to think of it, maybe that's why some of his fellow soldiers are eager to come out now and get a jump on defining Bergdahl as a bad guy first, and defining the whole chain of events...?
arthritisR_US
(7,269 posts)am taking a wait and see attitude, walk smile in his shoes...
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)Anyone, at least anyone not from the region, in their right mind doesn't go wandering around in Afghanistan alone without a weapon.
Maybe not PTSD, but there was certainly some issue that caused him to not have a firm grasp of reality and what he was doing. Could have just been poor judgement, could have a deeper underlying issue, who knows. His life before the Army seems to have been aimless, shiftless and full of impulsive moves that were not well thought out as well.
Unless his intent was to actually join with the Taliban. If it was that certainly wouldn't reflect sound judgement and I am sure was something he regretted quickly.
I am certain if it goes to a court martial that will be the defense in one way or another.
Raine1967
(11,589 posts)I am finding this all very uncomfortable. It seems as tho this is a given, as opposed to speculation. Who has confirmed that he walked away, and if he did, why was he never declared AWOL?
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)It was never disputed that he walked away, people were just ordered not to talk about it.
Since they knew he was subsequently in Taliban hands, the classed him as MIA/POW. Can't be that and AWOL at the same time.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)This "assumption" from his unit makes me very uncomfortable...
Its pretty standard fare that a soldier who isn't as "gung-ho" as the rest will be vilified and ostracized. Bergdahl certainly fit that category. Bergdahl hasn't had a chance to tell his side of the story.
Absent eye-witness testimony about what happened, its incredibly right-wing-ish to assume imo.
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)His gear was found neatly piled up, Taliban would have taken his weapon, night vision and and gear as trophies and if it was dropped in a struggle wouldn't have been neatly piled up. Also in the initial search after they found local civilians who report he was walking alone.
This link lays out a pretty decent overview of it:
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2014/0601/Did-Bowe-Bergdahl-go-AWOL-in-Afghanistan
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)Obviously he was disgruntled and I'm sure that would generate some ill-will amongst his comrades.
Do you trust them? I don't.
wheniwasincongress
(1,307 posts)His last email read like a suicide note and he had emailed home his books and belongings.
IADEMO2004
(5,538 posts)Cha
(295,899 posts)This guy may have made a tremendously bad decision, but I'm willing to bet that what he's endured since then has been far worse than anything the US or military judicial system would have imposed. Have some heart.
politicat
(9,808 posts)I mean, after all, blame the "likely to be dead before anyone can question him" guy isn't an actual tactic or anything.
It's been long enough that they might even believe their rationalizations. We do know that some of them have admitted to thinking him "weird", "a loner", and "not part of the team". Which sounds a heckuva lot like a prime opportunity for hazing and a very good motive for someone to take a walk away.
To me, it sounds most like a failed suicide by enemy action attempt and the unit attempting to cover their own contributions to that situation by making it not about them. The unit's individual stories sound... a little too consistent. Not rehearsed, but just like they repeated the company line to themselves until it became the truth for them.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)Claiming every vet that was there is a liar about the events?
Based only on what- that you don't like what they have to say because it doesn't for your ideal political narrative.
I don't know you, but I hope you are better than that.
politicat
(9,808 posts)Group dynamics are tricky, especially in high stress situations. I'm not saying they're lying, just that their perception of the event may differ from Bergdahl's, that they have had several years and access to reach a group consensus and he can't present the other side.
Like everyone else, service members present information in the way that puts themselves in the best light. They have careers, promotions and benefits riding on not getting busted for something that is fundamentally uncertain. Growing up in my base commander father's household, I saw a lot of the internal mechanisms of after action and after incident reports. There was a pattern to them -- if someone died in training, more often than not, the majority of the blame ended up on the dead guy, because that let the survivors grieve and move on without carrying excess guilt. Same with incidents that didn't end with deaths -- whoever had left the service got the blame, because that was the person who could carry it (metaphorically) without it being a black mark on zir record.
This situation has a high degree of grey area, so yes, everyone involved will try to focus the light on the things they did right and edit out what went wrong. That's human nature. It's not even conscious most of the time. It's not lying. Objectivity is tough for those in the situation, and why we tend to leave it to UMCJ and its officers.
Mythologizing service members into perfect paragons isn't helpful.
Response to politicat (Reply #14)
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IADEMO2004
(5,538 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)is true, that he left with no weapons or anything. It was a mystery that was not solved and they did try to find him.
I'm glad they found him and hope there is a good explanation for why he left. Seems like very bad judgement. Maybe he had a panic attack and wasn't thinking straight. Whatever the reason, I doubt we'll ever know.
TxVietVet
(1,905 posts)Texasgal
(17,029 posts)Who in their right mind would desert without a weapon in Taliban country?
I think this kid had something mentally going on. I am really disturbed by people that want to shit on him.
wheniwasincongress
(1,307 posts)and no doubt the piles of shit will get bigger (think public booing and altercations when Bowe returns to the US.) All because Obama had something to do with his return. just rabid.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)He is obviously VIP.
wheniwasincongress
(1,307 posts)He was reported as behaving very strangely before he walked away; his last email to his parents sounded like a suicide note. I think it's highly likely he walked away while not in any sort of right mind and/or to go kill himself. People do walk away and do a bit of travel and sightseeing before committing suicide...
I search and search in these recent comments and articles and TV shows for discussion about it but I see almost none. This isn't some guy who heard there was a fun sexy party plane heading to Miami.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!
spanone
(135,632 posts)only sgt bergdahl knows.
TxVietVet
(1,905 posts)Quote from article:
transcript of radio intercepts, publicly released through Wikileaks, indicates that Bergdahl, then 23, was captured while sitting in a makeshift latrine.
"We were attacking the post he was sitting," according to a radio intercept of a conversation among insurgents. "He had no gun with him. ... They have all (the) Americans, ANA (Afghan National Army), helicopters, the planes are looking for him. Can you guys make a video of him and announce it all over Afghanistan that we have one of the Americans?"
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)TxVietVet
(1,905 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)JJChambers
(1,115 posts)Skittles
(152,964 posts)but it is glaringly obvious that a possible mental health issue is not being considered
Skittles
(152,964 posts)but not to repukes, because it would not fit into their anti-Obmaa meme
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Walked away theory hasn't changed much over the last five years. What's new is the dynamic of having traded Taliban for a detainee.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)IADEMO2004
(5,538 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)res ipsa loquitur
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)If he was sane and walked off then he is going to jail if they can prove it.
I hope he didn't.