That's one nay. Any ayes?

By walking off into the wilderness of Afghanistan. The odds of one surviving the night alone, much less discovering sanctuary, are negligible. I doubt seriously he was that foolish.

We're probably talking about someone who foolishly exposed themselves to capture. But I doubt it was an actual attempt to desert his post. I could be wrong ... people do stupid things sometimes.

Trav

the mind can make all sorts of distortions to rational decisions. I see no malice or intent to harm in this. I see a man with a conscience who under pressure may have viewed things with that PTSD irrational process that skews reason. People with chronic stress (PTSD) easily skip right by the hippocampus to the amygdala fight or flight response. And a person with honor will follow his heart passing right by reason unaware of the outcome.

We really don't know. It is quite possible that his capacity to reason (e.g. evaluate risks and rewards) was impaired by PTSD. That could have manifested as some notion to actually desert, or to take a walk away from the scene for a little bit (which, while foolish, is not the same thing). We just don't know, and it is premature to come to a judgement about it.

My principal feeling about it is ... at the very least, we got him back. And that is a good thing.

Trav