Bowe Bergdahl to be tried for desertion

[CaptainCrunch]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...ls-say-n294466

So glad that they released 5 senior Taliban members for this guy.

[bluejays]

^ Why? None of us know the reasons why he left (as far as I know), and despite him making a huge mistake, spent 5 long years not knowing if he was going to be killed. If I made the same mistake I would really hope someone would try and help me. Maybe it's just the Canadian in me, but I really feel bad for people when they have breakdowns. This guy is no different, and I'm glad his country did that for him.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by fleury

^ Why? None of us know the reasons why he left (as far as I know), and despite him making a huge mistake, spent 5 long years not knowing if he was going to be killed. If I made the same mistake I would really hope someone would try and help me. Maybe it's just the Canadian in me, but I really feel bad for people when they have breakdowns. This guy is no different, and I'm glad his country did that for him.

He deserted he abandoned his unit and his post. under the UCMJ he deserted. 6 members of the military were killed trying to locate him and attacks increased and became better planned after his capture so who knows if he aided his captors or not.

It also took 5 senior Taliban leaders who were major terrorist figures and basically put them back in action.

If you go back and read through the whole sequence of events he planned his defection ahead of time this wasn't a spur of the moment thing.

He's just fortunate, because it used to be if you deserted in a time of war they tied you up and shot you.

He's getting off light if he just gets a less then honorable discharge and loses his pay and benefits. His former unit members believe he should have been tried for treason and question that he was captured as opposed to crossing to the other side based on his behavior and his comments before he took off.

He broke faith on his oath. He broke faith with his unit mates. His actions lead to the deaths of 6 others.

[puckedoff]

At the risk of sounding like a lunatic, I agree with Captain Crunch here.


If he didn't want to be part of the war, there are other ways that he could have removed himself that would have caused much less collateral damage.

[bluejays]

My fault on that. I didn't know that it was preplanned. I always just figured he was bullied, or didn't like war and decided to leave. Having said that, I don't see how a reasonable person could "cross over" to the other side. That kinda thing blows my mind as we all know those guys have done horrendous things. The deaths of 6 others is pretty sad.

[fulham]

Make an example of this pathetic guy, 6 brave men directly died to save this complete coward.

[PIMking]

hang him high!

[Hack&Lube]

He's a home-schooled young man who became disillusioned with America, genuinely wanted to help the locals, and desired to run away to the mountains and walk to India and live as a hippie away from it all.

That I can sympathize with. Where the fault lies is in his dereliction of duty and irresponsibility to his fellow soldiers. His actions arguably put many men in danger and even cost several lives in those soldiers who tried to find and help him. If he's being tried for that callousness, then I can see some sense in all of this.

[CaptainCrunch]

He's being tried exactly for that.

Its also not a long reach that a guy like this who was disillusioned and wrote a pretty anti-american letter home, sold out his comrades when he was captured to save his skin.

Attacks in that area by the Taliban increased and became much more efficient after his capture.

Right down to a Taliban spokes person basically saying that he was helping them out.

He's fortunate that he's not going on trial for treason, but he has top level protection from the white house.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by fulham

Make an example of this pathetic guy, 6 brave men directly died to save this complete coward.

That's somewhat the easy way out, fact is not everyone copes with the incredible pressure of war the same way and maybe even the US government is at fault for letting him be a part of the army in the first place.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by T@T

That's somewhat the easy way out, fact is not everyone copes with the incredible pressure of war the same way and maybe even the US government is at fault for letting him be a part of the army in the first place.

Maybe, but he was part of the army and a volunteer army at that, plus he was in infantry and he chose that trade, and as soon as he walked out on his group he's at fault. I could counter and say that maybe he's a person with weak character.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Maybe, but he was part of the army and a volunteer army at that, plus he was in infantry and he chose that trade, and as soon as he walked out on his group he's at fault. I could counter and say that maybe he's a person with weak character.

Of course he's weak and personally I think he's a soft idiot with no respect for fellow teammates but since I haven't been in a war I'll give him a little bit of slack.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Its also not a long reach that a guy like this who was disillusioned and wrote a pretty anti-american letter home, sold out his comrades when he was captured to save his skin.

Attacks in that area by the Taliban increased and became much more efficient after his capture.

Right down to a Taliban spokes person basically saying that he was helping them out.

He's fortunate that he's not going on trial for treason, but he has top level protection from the white house.

What are you saying here?

That he committed treasonous acts or are you speculating? Are you seriously saying that in a propaganda war you are naive enough to believe a Taliban spokesman. You honestly think he's going to say anything otherwise?

And can you elaborate on this top level protection from the white house?

Deserter? Sure. Treason? I have yet to see any evidence.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bagor

What are you saying here?

That he committed treasonous acts or are you speculating? Are you seriously saying that in a propaganda war you are naive enough to believe a Taliban spokesman. You honestly think he's going to say anything otherwise?

And can you elaborate on this top level protection from the white house?

Deserter? Sure. Treason? I have yet to see any evidence.

I'm speculating, but the logic is pretty well logical. He walks out gets captured, and the Taliban attack tempo in that area increases and are better planned to be far more effective. Read some of the stories by his former squad mates.

And beyond the president having his parents in the white house and parading them out in front of the media, and being willing to trade 5 senior Taliban leaders for a private. The report on the investigation was held up by the assistant to the national security adviser.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by T@T

Of course he's weak and personally I think he's a soft idiot with no respect for fellow teammates but since I haven't been in a war I'll give him a little bit of slack.

Then your a better man then I am. I can't give him any slack.

[btimbit]

He's getting off incredibly easy. Especially if they 'credit' him for the 5 years he was captured and all he gets its discharged.

[vegasbound]

Sounds like he was officially charged with his desertion, according to his lawyer. 2 charges: desertion and "misbehaving before the enemy." http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/c...ith-desertion/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bowe-ber...attorney-says/

[undercoverbrother]

I wonder what he thought he was going to do when he joined the US Military?

[CaptainCrunch]

He's probably going to see some jail time, lose his pay and benefits and be dishonorably discharged.

This is going to be a fairly interesting trial because of who he was exchanged for and because (and no this isn't a whole s%%t on Obama thing) of the closeness of this case to the President and National Security Adviser to the President. (Edit; add to that the allegations that the prisoner exchange wasn't legal because the President failed to inform Congress)

I do note that they didn't file any charges of Treason, which is what a lot of his former Unit Mates wanted to see, because of the deaths caused when they went to secure him.

[Jets4Life]

The United States has only executed one man for desertion, since the American Civil War 150 years ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik

Highly unlikely he gets anything but jail time.