The military reaction to Bergdahl is not charitable
The Army Times seems surprised that the online military community isn’t being as welcoming to the news of Bowe Bergdahl’s release from the Haqqani Network as the rest of the country;
Within an hour of the announcement that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was handed over to U.S. special forces by the Taliban Saturday evening, Army Times’ Facebook page lit up with hundreds of comments reacting to the news.
Most centered on the circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s capture, which remain something of a mystery. There has been some speculation that he willingly walked away from his unit, raising the question of whether he could be charged with being absent without leave (AWOL) or desertion.
Since Bergdahl was “captured” or whatever happened, I took the position that we should all shut up about the speculation of the circumstances involving his capture. I heard rumors early in the news of his capture, but I always figured that if he had value to whoever who was holding him, he’d be kept alive – and no matter what he did, he probably didn’t deserve to be beheaded for it.
But, that’s all changed now that he’s in US hands and no longer in danger. I’ve been reading all of the reports on the internet from folks who claimed to serve with Bergdahl and I’ve read the lists of names of troops who lost their lives searching for him. But, I’m in the business of doubting everything I read that is related to the military on the internet. So, I’ll wait for the trial and/or the inquiry. You know there will have to be a 15-6 investigation (for an Article 32 hearing – a military grand jury).
I suspect that Bergdahl is a stank-ass hippie who accidentally joined the Army and decided to smell some Afghan flowers one night. I have no doubts that he thought that the Taliban or Haqqani Network would welcome him open arms, you know because of his inherent stank-ass hippie naivete. I have no doubts that he tried to escape from them at some point because, he escaped from the Army when things weren’t what he thought they’d be.
I also think that Shinseki resigned, along with Jay Carney yesterday because they knew the news would be swallowed up by the news that Bergdahl was released – I’m sure the news on tomorrow’s Sunday shows will be about the release of Bergdahl and how the President pulled off this great victory, and it will all be an attempt to cover up the scandals which are legion. By Monday, there will be no scandal about the VA – because Shinseki resigned and because “Bergdahl!”
And, oh, yeah, Bergdahl will be treated as a hero instead of the little coward deserter that he is. If he makes it to a court martial, he’ll get slapped on the wrist, get an honorable discharge and go on his merry way to co-write a book.
Category: Terror War
As an airborne infantryman myself (173rd ABCT), if I was relieving myself on a small Obersrvation Post in a remote part of Afghanistan and was targeted for capture I can assure you my team/squad/platoon would hear my voice and the employment of my weapon. We took our weapons absolutely everywhere with us, even inside the wire. The only other story I know of about an attempted capture happened in a near ambush and the captors were engaged by SSG Guinta (medal of honor receipent). If you know nothing about serving in a forward environment in a high speed airborne unit, please refrain from attempting to make sense of this. Stay in your lane.
Sky soldier…First, thank you for serving our country. Though I am much older from an older war now, I agree with you 100%. The things you wrote were true in my day and obvioulsy still are.
Thank you for your service! Having never been in the military I have no idea what protocol would be. However I have not seen one picture of a soldier over there that does not have a weapon on them at all times, even while sleeping, getting coffee or eating!
Chosen Few
Sky Soldier, I’ve been there and done that, too. I’m a former AD “Leg” that came back in after a nine year break in service in order to get deployed, and you’re dead right, even while in Camp we not only carried our Weapons 24/7, we were ordered to always have at least one loaded thirty round mag with us while behind the wire. Yeah, I agree this reeks to high Heaven because he violated the “Buddy System Rule” as well, and fellow Soldiers getting wounded and killed because of his chickenshit games makes him deserving of a bare minimum of life in prison sans parole!
Agree 100%. I have been reading up on the circumstances of his capture and everything just seems a little too strange to me. I do know one thing- the Taliban usually saw prisoners heads off on TV within 30 days of capture.
Do you know that Congress was supposed to be notified 30 days in advance of doing this and they were not. This is a law. Oh well just another case of not being politically expedient and does not apply to your president.
I’d like to offer my stock answer as a response to anyone saying Bergdahl has suffered enough. Sadly, I’ve had to say this to other Gold Star families – If those responsible for the death of your loved one received five years, would you consider that justice?
I agree 100%, TAH. Except maybe the stank-ass hippie stuff. He makes us stank-ass hippies look bad.
Another horse and pony bull shite show brought to you by the POTUS and his Merry Gaymen
Next thing you know, [the President] will be tying a M.O.H. around this dildo’s neck, while no less than 6 stand up motherf#%&s go worm food. Go figure
Ok, I made the mistake of stating my position on a friends fb posting on this and I was maligned by a woman that was making excuses for him stepping on his wiener, because “he was a kid”. I’ve had enough of ignorant types lumping his 5 years of captivity into it to excuse his actions at the very beginning of those 5 years. Not to mention those that lost their lives while searching for him.
You must have been talking to my sister-in-law, too. 😉 I got the same type of response from her with regard to what I posted about B. Bergdahl. I have since unfriended her on fb.
Here’s a crazy idea, how about BOTH sides of this issue, those who support(or whatever) and those who detract (or whatever) STFU for 5 figurative minutes, and let the parents enjoy having their boy come home?
If he’s a shitbird, it will come out. 99.99% of us weren’t there, so we all know nothing right now.
Let a mother and father hug their little boy for a little bit, before we get to the bottom of this.
Grow the fuck up.
How about the mothers and fathers of the service who were killed scouring the area for this shithead? It’s a known fact that there were several operations conducted that were exclusely geared toward finding him. The Taliban knew this and adjusted their activities accordingly.
Sorry for the delayed response…I was making sure I wasn’t typing in Swahili.
Did you miss the part where I said we’d get to the bottom of this, eventually?
So if it turns out he really was a shitbird, and his actions did in fact lead to the deaths of others, then he will, and should pay. Under our rules, and our justice system.
Right now, you, I, and most everyone else know fuck and shit about what happened.
Act accordingly.
They pretty much have the goods on him already, to be bluntly honest fuck him and his shit head parents.
I say they hold his ass in a retricted area until they have an article 32 hearing on his ass. His mom and pop can visit him in pre-trial confinement.
If a hearing is warranted, then by all means. That’s what makes us different from the………..wait for it….
……getting there…….
…..closer!!!
…..Taliban.
Who’ve thought?
If a hearing is warranted,,,, IF…IF!
There is no way there should NOT be an Article 31 held on this fuckface.
Do you remember the shitbag Robert Garwood who ran off to join the NVA during Vietnam and later decided to come back to the US in 1979?
They read the fuckstick his rights as soon as he got off the plane and courtmartialed his ass.
I coud give a shit less about this sparkle pony’s assbag parents seeing this ass-bag until he answers to the UCMJ.
Are you privy to evidence the rest of us aren’t? Enough to charge him with?
Again, if he’s guilty he should, and will, pay. But none of us know all of the facts right now.
Reminds me on how everyone went off on Zimmerman without really knowing anything at all.
Hussar, With all due respect, I have to say that I have no faith at all that we will ever “get to the bottom of this,” now or “eventually.” How long have we been waiting for answers on Fast and Furious? The IRS targeting of groups? The spying on the AP and Fox reporter Rosen? Benghazi? The White House approval of FOIA requested documents? The agreement over Syria? Have we gotten to the bottom of any of those incidents (and others as well?) I can go on and on, but I just don’t have the same faith that anything will come out on this “eventually.” There is too much at stake, to be honest with you. This guy gets released right after the Shinseki resignation? When the administration is reeling from attacks from the left and the right on the handling of those in the military as well as veterans? What a nice distraction that shows how much the administration cares about the military. (Of course, if the administration is able to negotiate with an avowed enemy, why have they been silent on Andrew Tahmooressi, the Marine held in Mexico. We can secure the release of military people from enemies but not allies?) Why should I believe that the administration even cares about getting to the bottom of this when they have broken the law to get this done? Why wasn’t the Senate notified that the administration was in negotiations to get Bergdahl released? My faith in the administration goes down with each new example of their contempt for the law – even laws which President Obama himself signed. To make matters worse, on the Sunday talk shows Ambassador Susan Rice said Bergdahl was not a “hostage” but a “prisoner of war.” Is that what the administration’s position and talking point is now? If so, that just opened up a huge can of worms as to declarations of war and more importantly, the status of Taliban fighters at Gitmo. Suddenly those people are no longer “enemy combatants” but “prisoners of war” as well. That is a complete reversal of the… Read more »
One, I have zero faith in the Obama administration, or the US govt for that matter. Republican, Democrat…it’s all the same ball of shit to me.
Two, if anyone is screwing the pooch on a potential investigation, it’s the Republicans who are going batshit crazy over this scumbag/not scumbag. Way to really show your (and this isn’t specifically directed at you.) asses by running off at the suck like a bunch of 14 year old girls gossiping. Looking like idiots in the court of public opinion, and that’s why Obama gets away with the shit he does. Because there is no logical, reason and fact based resistence.
Like I’ve said from the get go,( even though some here have problems comprehending it.) if he is indeed a fuck up, did get people killed, etc…etc..he will pay. One way or another, one day or another. Justice has a nasty habit of creeping up on people.
“Like I’ve said from the get go,( even though some here have problems comprehending it.) if he is indeed a fuck up, did get people killed, etc…etc..he will pay.”
Nobody has a problem comprehending what you’re saying, the issue is no one is agreeing with it, myself included.
And as gitarcarver so eloquently explained above, no, it is not likely he will pay ‘if’ he is guilty.
As for the rest of your rant I really have to ask, do you really think the Republicans are resonsible for Obama getting away with anything? That’s got to be the most moronic and blind statement I’ve heard in ages.
They have Obama and Clinton figuratively holding the bloody glove on Benghazi, and still nothing.
But you go ahead and keep believing Republicans are on your side.
Btw…a little aside here….President Bush declared war on terror. Legally speaking, that makes this kid a POW. And yes, the US has swapped POWs in the past.
“They have Obama and Clinton figuratively holding the bloody glove on Benghazi, and still nothing.”
So what? As a logical argument to support the idea that the Republicans are responsible for Obama’s ‘successes’, that fails hugely.
Obama has been ‘successful’ because of the slow decent of our nation into a sudo-socialist society with ever increasing dependence on the nanny state ever since the 1930s. If you can’t see that it’s ‘we the people’ who are at fault, and not stupid political parties, then you’re part of the problem. In fact you’re so conditioned by our current way of doing things that you automatically assumed I’m a Republican or a Republican apologist, and I’m neither.
@Old Trooper
You said:
“Not to mention those that lost their lives while searching for him.”
Exactly! As I posted earlier….he’s Jane Fonda’s adopted son. SCUMBAG!
Hussar. You never answered my question. What grade are you in? And if you think you are entitled to crack wise with some of the commenters here or tell whoever it is you had in mind to “Grow the fuck up” and to “Act accordingly” you’re as wrong as you can be. Who the hell are you anyway? Are you a minor? Are you a Veteran? Are you AD, NG, or a reservist?
You basically have nothing valid to add to anything, which is why you won’t address the topic, and focus on education, service, etc..etc..
I don’t need to start whipping out DD-214’s and transcript/graduation certs for some random guy on a website who can’t form a logical rebuttal.
Hussar. In other words, you are full of shit. You made no point worthy of rebuttal, just some asinine comments and orders for some unspecified commenter here. Including yourself, you have a fan club of one and your comments are akin to reading vnwarprotester’s: Some people read his, too, but not for the reason he doubtless deludes himself into thinking they are being read. So, what grade ARE you in?
QED
GFY
+1 🙂
The Taliban rarely keeps prisoners for any length of time. It’s been said that he trained Taliban personnel on US Military weapons and tactics, thus making himself an asset to the enemy. Maybe they thought he had outlived his usefulness to them and that alongside B. Hussein 0bama & Company’s current need for a dog and pony show made his return happen? B. Hussein 0bama & Company have NEVER done anything for anyone unless they’ve either received campaign contributions or it gives them a boost in public opinion polls!
Turncoats are tricky to handle. The idea that one of our own jumped sides is a PR nightmare, and morale busting.
The most damning thing to me is that he was taken prisoner in the first place.
There has been a few instances where Al Queda or the Taliban has had a opputunity to taken prisoners. They tend to kill vice capture.
When the first American is killed as a result of our self appointed, above the law dictator be charged with high treason or at least accessory to murder,or will he and his untouchables just bury that also, and ignore the demands of the people as he has done in he past?
He spent 5 years with the Taliban, and still has his head on his shoulders. I would worry about Stockholm Syndrome, at the very least. The soldiers who served with him are calling him a deserter and worse. I would suspect that he’s been turned, and I hope a full psychological battery is done on him. And if it were up to me, freedom would not be an option for him for quite awhile. I’m very concerned that we now have a guided missile in our midst.