I believe the swap was a good one for it will increase the chances of a successful peace treaty being negotiated and thus save lives for all nationalities including American.

Anybody that makes up their mind before knowing the circumstances is wrong.

He has that look. What clear thinking or rational person would desert his post, drop his weapons (I think that's what I read he did) and walk off into the total unknown, knowing he would be an immediate target. It's not as if he could "blend in" or find safe haven. I think we all need to hold our judgement until more information is uncovered.

I'm glad he's back. Getting our POW's back is the responsibility of the Commander-In-Chief. President Obama did his duty well.

and hubby is a retired Chief.

it is imperative that every soldier is brought home. Keep in mind, it always helps to have the soldier under investigation in our hands in order to get a more accurate understanding of the event.

The initial media blitz on this Iraq War veteran and the details of her capture were purely fabricated. It turned out that she was in no position to be able to return fire during the ambush, and later she completely refuted the fictitious details that had been repeated again and again to in order to generate media attention. I predict that the Bergdahl case will bear some similarities, even though the circumstances between the two captures are altogether different. Speculation and personal bias will come in quickly to fill any vacuum that has not been neutralized by actual events. I have some theories myself, but they could be completely wrong once facts are presented, so I prefer to keep them to myself at this time. So, at this point reserving judgment is the only sensible action. This soldier should be afforded every reasonable doubt until he has the chance to plead his case, if and when any misconduct charges are brought up. And finally, the notion that an American soldier deserves to be abandoned because there is a belief by some that he disappeared under suspicious or self-imposed circumstances is hogwash. These decisions are made by military commanders, not by partisan bloggers, and not in 20-20 hindsight aided and abetted by Republican strategists using despicable means to score political points.

To be a "traitor" there would need to be some solid evidence that he provided intel or other service to the Taliban, and that said aid was not coerced. The "traitor" tag is pure RW smoke blowing designed to discredit the trade and smear President Obama.

but the overwhelming majority I have communicated with are saying- we will wait for the facts.

I'm happy to get him home.

Fuck your friend.

Desertion doesnt merit the death penalty that rightwing creeps and some heartless veterans call for.

I think that Bergdahl was having mental health issues and made some unwise decisions because of it. Everyone reacts to prolonged stress differently and Bergdahl's reaction was to hide from his source stress.

Glad we got him back, but now I want a full accounting of what happened and him held to an adequate level of discipline.

It's been well accepted in military circles for years he left his post, and nothing had surfaced to indicate otherwise. That plus the resulting risk it placed others in makes for a serious dereliction of duty- so unless some really strong mitigating information surfaces he needs to be held accountable at some point.

If for nothing else, as the example that the Army won't look the other way to actions like he is alleged to have taken.

And now the Army can conduct a full investigation to determine if he should be subject to NJP or tried in a court-martial. He will have the right to request a court-martial himself if they try the NJP route.

Ultimately I think the worst case scenario he gets an "other than honorable" or general discharge and best case they turn him loose with an honorable discharge and full benefits.

He won't be retained in the Army and it doesn't appear that he would want to anyway from his feelings expressed before he left the post.

I think the Army tries to avoid a court-martial and the extra attention it will bring at this point.

Or President Obama could pin a big medal on him and issue a full pardon, it's all speculation at this point anyway.

The NYTimes has already been corrected by the White House once that i know of today.

Lets wait till more of the truth is known before jumping to pre-engineered conclusions. The smear machine was in high gear as soon as word came out that the deal was made.

is generating all the energy right now.

Resist!

from all accounts, Bergdahl's unit was beset by severe breakdowns in good order and discipline and he was experiencing some serious doubts about the misson and his presence there; the degree to which the breakdown in discipline may have contributed to that is an open question, and his psychological state at the time is also an open question. The nature of the disciplinary breakdown, and his unit's reputation as a bunch of grade A fuckups, questions whether they should have been deployed in a combat area to begin with; Bergdahl's own psychological state, if it wasn't good, also raises questions about whether he himself should have been deployed with a front-line unit. Which really underlines how overstretched the military is, and the problems of repeat deployments and lack of identification and treatment of psychological issues for serving troops, really.

We do know from intercepted communications (released by Wikileaks) that Bergdahl was captured "in a toilet", while unarmed, during a firefight with an outpost being overrun with Taliban. One can speculate about what he was doing there (was he unwell? Was he hiding? Had he deserted his post in the face of the enemy?) but those are issues that would need to be brought out at a court-martial, should there be any grounds for charges of desertion (and NB that desertion, if that's what happened, isn't treason; treason would've been sneaking out and deserting to the Taliban and taking up arms against the USA. Treason is something which is very narrowly defined by the Constitution.)

First I've heard this.
I have heard how messed up Afghanistan was. The people who were doing our bidding there? For some, it was horrific. So many cases of suicide and PTSD.

well, relieving himself. Where that was I don't know. But no one knows whether he was deserter or not. Some reports say he was headed for Pakistan. How he expected to get there without being captured has never been explained. IF those reports are true, something had to be wrong with his state of mind.

I am glad he was rescued. He was in Afghanistan and in a part of the country where some of the worst fighting went on. His unit was described as being totally unfit to be there. He otoh, was described as being an excellent recruit, already an expert marksman even before he began training. He expressed concerns that the mission which had been described as 'helping the civilians who were being over run by the Taliban, turned out to be nothing of the kind. I got the impression he had no qualms about fighting the Taliban, but was deeply disturbed about the killing of civilians.

We know nothing, everything that is being said regarding him being a 'traitor' or even a 'deserter' is pure speculation.

I have wondered, considering he has been described as one of the best soldiers in that unit, which has been described as having 'bungled everything even before arriving in Afghanistan', if he wasn't sent on a mission which might have backfired. Who knows, but if that turns out to be the case, a whole lot of people will have a lot of egg on their faces. Then, they will probably accuse the WH of NOT revealing the 'mission' and find a way to call that 'illegal' also.

Glad he's home, sorry he and so many others became victims of Bush's lies. I will care about THEIR breaking the law, when the liars responsible for all of it, are themselves brought to justice. Until then, good for anyone who got out alive.

the RW commentary can go f themselves. Everyone has to use one.

Seems to me from what I've read about him, he was a good soldier and risked his life and was willing to do more, to go to Afghanistan on a mission HE thought was to 'help the Afghan people'.

His unit was featured in a Guardian Documentary a few days before he disappeared. He was in that film which showed what a horrible place, one of the worst as far as the fighting goes, they were assigned to. And in Michael Hastings' 2012 report on him, he describes the unit as unfit in general to be there according to people who were close to the unit, or in it themselves.

If you haven't read Hastings story on this it's well worth reading.

Bowe Bergdahl, America's Last Prisoner of War

It is well worth reading.

congress has deserted their post in the time of war. They have put America in more harm than this guy ever could. Ted Cruz cost the country 24 billion dollars and the right wing want to give him a fucking medal. These fucks better get honest with the person in the mirror before they accuse Bergdahl of deserting or being a traitor to the country. He could have wandered off with mental issues. I'll wait for the true story. I already know the true story with congress.

********QUOTE********
http://freakoutnation.com/2014/06/01/hilarious-open-carry-group-organizing-delegates-to-carry-assault-rifles-at-texas-gop-convention/
Hilarious: Open Carry group organizing delegates to carry assault rifles at Texas GOP convention

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/prisoner-swap-history
Guess Who Swapped Prisoners Like Obama? Your Favorite Presidents
Criticism of the president's decision to free Sgt. Bergdahl are short-sighted and silly.
By Lt. Col. Robert Bateman

As George Washington did, as James Madison did, as Abraham Lincoln did, our current president decided to make a trade. Sergeant Bowe Beghdahl, promoted in absentia twice since his capture in Afghanistan, is now free. We let loose five of theirs to regain the only American held by the enemy. This is not something new, it is a return to the old. Those who oppose the idea are taking offense with George Washington, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln.

The opinions here are those of the author, President Washington. President Madison, President Lincoln, and not the DoD, the Army, or any unit he is affiliated with.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/us/us-soldier-srgt-bowe-bergdahl-of-idaho-pow-vanished-angered-his-unit.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/us/us-soldier-srgt-bowe-bergdahl-of-idaho-pow-vanished-angered-his-unit.html?_r=0

Bowe Bergdahl’s Vanishing Before Capture Angered His Unit

.... The soldiers began a frantic search for Sergeant Bergdahl using Predator drones, Apache attack helicopters and military tracking dogs. The most intense search operation, leaked war reports show, wound down after eight days — well before the deaths of six soldiers on patrols in Paktika Province in late August and early September. But, complicating matters, some soldiers contend they were effectively searching for 90 days because of clear orders: If they heard rumors from locals that Sergeant Bergdahl might be nearby, they should patrol the area. ....

A second former senior military officer, who also was briefed on the Bergdahl investigation, said there was no direct evidence that diversion of surveillance aircraft or troops to search for Sergeant Bergdahl encouraged the Taliban attacks, or left other American troops vulnerable. “This was a dangerous region in Afghanistan in the middle of the ‘fighting season,’ ” the officer said in an email, adding that although the search “could have created some opportunities for the enemy,” it is “difficult to establish a direct cause and effect.”

A review of the database of casualties in the Afghan war suggests that Sergeant Bergdahl’s critics appear to be blaming him for every American soldier killed in Paktika Province in the four-month period that followed his disappearance. ....

Rear Adm. John F. Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, said that there was a larger matter at play: The American military does not leave soldiers behind. “When you’re in the Navy, and you go overboard, it doesn’t matter if you were pushed, fell or jumped,” he said. “We’re going to turn the ship around and pick you up.”

********UNQUOTE*******

I think he deserted, we should have left him there.

supported Obama for doing nothing, because you 'think' this guy deserted?

I honestly want to understand, and will send this thread to my friend.

Perhaps we should have a committee of some sort to scan through every American soldier captured and decide if their service record is and circumstances of their capture is deemed worthy of bringing home?

And to make such a statement without having all the facts, "I think"...is a piss poor shield to hide behind.

Would you feel the same if it was your own child?

People break down sometimes in combat zones...some freeze, some fuck up, some are just unlucky, but we don't leave them behind.

But I notice you didn't answer my questions. You've not been shy about voicing your opinion thus far. Why stop now?

His mind was already made up. He's probably as prejudiced as most conservatives are. No matter what President Obama does, they are against it.
Who knows what went on in Bergdahl's mind when he was captured? The jury is still out. It doesn't matter what he did to get captured. He's a US serviceman. If he's held captive, our government policy has been to get the soldier home.

Now, we traded POW's with the Vietnamese to get our troops home. One was John McCain. His actions in the North Vietnamese POW camps was questionable. We still brought him home. Now, many have a very low opinion of McCain, but we still brought him home.

BTW, tell your friend President Obama believes breathing the air is very good for people.

Bergdahl will be home soon. I believe he's a very fragile person now. Let him live his life in piece. However, I believe the conservanazis will try to make his life as miserable as they can and hope he destroys his life.
You see, Bergdahl represents a positive action from Obama. conservanazis are consumed by their hatred of Obama and will try to destroy Bergdahl. Mark my words.

Desertion requires intent to never return. Obviously you can't return if you have been taken prisoner. Intent is very hard to prove. A traitor would require him to have given something to the enemy. A lot is not known and some things will never be known. If he is guilty he should be discharged and fined. If he has mental issues he should be treated, as should any soldier. Maybe your friend feels he knows more than most. If he is truly psychic, maybe we should start to be concerned about what superpowers the 5 Taliban might possess.

I received an honorable discharge for my service. I saw many fine young men become anti-war during my time in uniform. Bergdahl is not a traitor; he is at most a deserter. A less than honorable discharge would be appropriate since he was punished sufficiently by the Taliban.

We have had several politicians who are more guilty of sedition and treason. They are far more traitorous than any military person has been.

We don't leave our people behind. End of story.

The only questions to ask these people who think they know the whole story is: If it were your child, would you want your country to abandon him? And who gets to decide from now on who we bring home and who we leave behind?

There are three things to look at here:

1) The people who are screaming "Traitor! Impeach the president! Shoot Bowe Bergdahl!" the loudest have been trying to hang the president from a yardarm since 2008.

2) We haven't heard Sgt. Bergdahl's side of the story yet.

3) Bergdahl was assigned to the 1st Fuckup Brigade. Since no one in his unit actually saw him leave, there's a decent possibility one of the guys who hated him worse (because he didn't drink beer - what does "Mormon" mean to you, asshole?) made up a story about this guy and spread it, and all the rest of the "cool guys" in the outfit suddenly "knew" Bergdahl was a traitor and worse.

I'm going to wait until the Army finishes its investigation before recommending that we dunk him in honey and stake him out behind the barracks.

If so, it's ludicrous to call him a deserter regardless of what his journal said.

This was from Wikileaks:



LLVI means "low level voice intercept." LLVI teams are three guys in a ditch with a radio receiver.

Now...WHY he was outside the perimeter with no weapon so he could get captured while taking a dump is the big question.

Not many people will want to be his battle buddy if he is a true deserter. I believe all I've heard so far is hearsay, is there going to be punitive actions taken against him? What is his current status now? Does anyone know?

A little background, I spent five years as a First Sergeant both at home station and in combat. No one knows the soldier's intent to return until a full investigation is done. Did he get outside the wire (OTW) and decide the terrain was too tough, situation too dangerous or plain got lost while attempting to return. If at any moment, he (within his own mind) and not for others to decide, decided to return to the Forward Operating Base, then his "deserter" status as some would like to call it changed back to AWOL. I know this because I had a couple of cases like this in my 28 yrs of service. The Article 32 hearing is where this determination will be made and not in the jury of public opinion.

I was also a drill sergeant (MTI) early in my career and taught the Uniform Code Of Military Justice to recruits. The issue of AWOL and Desertion was a critical lesson that every recruit got and yes, walking away from ones post was an example. As a form of indoctrination into the military every drill sergeant attempted to scare the beejesus out of the recruit as to what would happen if they deserted their post. My point is, every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and marine get the same briefing on what is AWOL and what is desertion.

What they also get is a briefing that, if they become a Prisoner of War, upon their return to friendly forces, there will be a formal inquiry (usually an Article 32 hearing) to understand the circumstance to which they found themselves in enemy hands, their conduct while in enemy hands, and administrative issues related to their current status. The point here is everyone who is suspected of AWOL or desertion gets their day in military court.

Lastly, and an even more serious lesions that all servicemembers learn is, that the United States Government will always keep the faith with you and work to secure your release. That statement, "keeping the faith" is that solemn oath understood by all going into harms way that not only will the US Government continue to work to secure your release, they will take care of your dependents both emotionally and with resources while you are captured. That statement is why servicemembers feel secure in knowing whether killed in action or a prisoner of war, they will not be left behind. Imagine if this wasn't the case, there would be a major breakdown of good order and discipline within a combat environment. Even with that in mind, many are still afraid, yet they suit up with battle rattle and proceed outside-the-wire to do the mission. I know this because my team and I were embedded with Afghan Forces for over a year (during the same year of Sergeant Bergdahl's capture). Yes, many were afraid, and none walked away from their post but some came up to me and said, "I don't want to go back OTW"

Fortunately, I had trained some rock solid NCOs and yes officers for counterinsurgency operations and we trusted each other to also, "keep the faith" in each other that no matter what happened, we had each other's back. I can't speak for Sergeant Bergdahl's team but know first hand that if the team is not entirely cohesive to the point of sticking to each other, there are going to be problems. My opinion, which that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee

Chief D
Operation Northern Watch (Jan - Aug 2002)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) (Apr -Nov 2003)
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF-Afghanistan) (Nov 2008 - Dec 2009)

If that is true, I really don't see how anyone could ever call him a traitor or a deserter no matter what his private journal said. Everybody has to use the bathroom.

my friend fwiw.

Absent without leave is not desertion.
Weird conversations in the field or at sea isn't anything new and proves nothing, hearsay at best.

If there is reason to hold an inquest, do so.
If there is reason to hold NJP (Non-Judicial Punishment), do so.
If there is reason to hold a Courts Martial, do so.
If you were not there, shut the fuck up and wait.


USN vet. Ex-DS3 (Data Systems Technician/Petty Officer Third Class) CVN-69 USS Eisenhower.

see him sitting in a brig here than get beheaded on YouTube.Good call imo.

Not saying Obama was wrong to get him back, but that's a separate issue.