He's a sargeant. Period.

Why don't we just go ahead and give him a dishonorable discharge?

Wow, the swiftboating is a powerful force.

he is called Sergeant Bergdahl because he is Sergeant Bergdahl.

i was wondering that myself.

Don't you mean while being held captive by the enemy? The swiftboating on DU is disgusing

and they too have had no training and get to keep their ranks.

No heroics were performed for sure unless the investigation says so.

or as a POW is considered heroic.

the past 5 years hadn't happened. Everything up to E-4 is pretty much automatic barring any disciplinary issues and he passes his PT test as required.

To become a Sergeant requires passing PLDC (Primary Leadership Development Course). Presuming he isn't court-martialed and found guilty AND chooses to stay in the military, he will probably be required to pass PLDC at a later date. My own guess is that, if he is not court martialed and found guilty, he will chose to not re-enlist and will leave the Army as a Sergeant.

promoted to E5. You just have to have it within a certain time of making rank. Just an FYI.

They haven't called it that in years.

So people still are Specialists or Corporals after 5 years.

And is automatically re enlisted while in captivity.

POW's get promoted based on when they would have been promoted if they had not been captured. This isn't the first time a POW has been promoted.

He was promoted, even though he was absent. Hence, "in absentia." It's not new, nor is it somehow derogatory. Lots of people have been promoted in absentia in the past. IIRC, John McCain was promoted when he was held in the Hanoi Hilton, for example.

before we execute him.

Barring anything else, he would have gotten that promotion to Sergeant anyway by virtue of his time in the Army. If the Army takes away one or more stripes, then that's another matter, but at least for now, he has earned the rank of Sergeant and should be afforded that title.

That having been said, I heard over the weekend that he has said that he does not feel that he has earned the rank and has asked to be addressed as Private instead. Frankly, I don't know what the Army's stance is on something like that.



Until the Army says otherwise, I'll be calling him Sergeant because that's the rank he has earned.

Why do you seem intent on denigrating that fact?

There is a real difference

"Why call him Sergeant Bergdahl?"

Take the answer to the first question and put it in front of his name. That will answer your question.

I have nothing to base it off of, but that is just my hunch.

Let the guy have his rank. To take it away from him would only add to the sense of shame that I'm sure he is feeling for no reason.

That's why.

He never sat through the same promotions as other soldiers did.

Have a nice day.

Without a hint of knowledge of the military speak about such things. .lol

unless you have some inside knowledge based on your MOS, you're talking straight outta your ass.

These promotions are standard, and if your MIA or POW, you will automatically receive these promotions.

What should we call you, Jeneral? What's your rank? I doubt that you're a General in any military organization. Most Generals know how to spell their rank.

So, give us a rundown of your military service and rank, if you don't mind.

I was a Sergeant in the USAF. On my discharge in 1969, I no longer had any rank in the USAF. I was a civilian again.

So, tell us of your military service, please.

he has been promoted to sergeant?

Th courses and other requirements can be waived if there are extenuating circumstances. I received a couple promotions without having all of the "by the book" requirements. You simply take the appropriate course when available.

Why would he be reduced in rank? Was there some act he committed justifying a reduction?

. . . doesn't mean he shouldn't be given credit for time served in the field.

Take some time to read the fucking regs and piss off.

...by anonymous Internet military experts who can properly characterize Bergdahl's performance.

of the nicer things he's been called recently. He shoukd maybe get another promotion just based on the shit he's had to take from his own countrymen lately.