MG Kenneth R. Dahl begins investigation of Bergdahl matter
The Army announced that Major General Kenneth R. Dahl will begin the investigation of SGT Bowe Bergdahl.
The Army has initiated its investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the disappearance and capture of Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl from Combat Outpost Mest-Lalak in Paktika Province, Afghanistan on or about June 30, 2009. The Army has appointed as the investigating officer Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, an Army officer with Afghanistan combat experience.
The primary function of this investigation, as in any other investigation, is to ascertain facts and report them to the appointing authority. These types of investigations are not uncommon and serve to establish the facts on the ground following an incident. The investigating officer will have access to previously gathered documentary evidence, including the 2009 investigation.
The Army’s top priority remains Sgt. Bergdahl’s health and reintegration. We ask that everyone respect the time and privacy necessary to accomplish the objectives of the last phase of reintegration. The investigating officer will not interview Sgt. Bergdahl until the reintegration team clears such interaction, so no timeline for completion of the investigation has been set.
MG Dahl was promoted last year when he was deputy commander of the 10th Mountain Division. He then went to the position of deputy commanding general-support, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan last year and now he’s deputy commanding general, I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Category: Terror War
“The primary function of this investigation, as in any other investigation, is to ascertain facts and report them to the appointing authority. These types of investigations are not uncommon and serve to establish the facts on the ground following an incident.”
My concern is the “appointing authority” will under Obama’s direction, make known the truth as they want it perceived.
Also, “the facts on the ground following as incident” are important but just as important are the facts on the ground “prior” to the incident. To include Bergdahl’s letters, journals, emails and the testimony of his fellow squad and platoon members and leaders. Leaving the “prior” circumstances, testimonies and facts out, if that happens, paints an entirely different picture.
Will the General be allowed to properly do his job, or will he get stymied by B. Hussein 0bama & Company?
Proud…I fear you answered your own question. No way Obama will let this be a straight up, no holds barred investigation with full disclosure.
A no holds barred investigation with full disclosure will prove what members of his platoon have been saying all along, that he’s a traitor, a deserter and most likely a collaborator. That will make the Prez look like an even bigger dolt than he already does, trading 5 Taliban heavy-hitters for a dirtbag. This must NEVER be allowed to happen. Obama was up there talking repeatedly about how “I make absolutely no apologies for making sure we get back a young man to his parents” but as soon as there was pushback and the truth was becoming irrefutable, he threw Hagel under the bus so fast I bet it made his great-great-grandparents dizzy. *voice of Consuela from Family Guy* “No…no…no court martial here…you go now.”
Roger that. We will see if Dahl can do it right.
This is in response to Tom Feeley’s comments about MG Dahl Tom his record and two dollars can get anybody a cup of coffee at a coffee shop. Really just because he and his wife went to West Point, you think that makes a difference? He will do what ever the command tells him to do and what ever outcome they want to see. Really Tom. Get with the program.
“The Army’s top priority remains Sgt. Bergdahl’s health and reintegration.”
The short answer to your question, based on the statement above, is NO.
There are already plenty of undisputable facts out there. None of them look good for Shitdahl.
It’s all going to come to if the MG has the balls to do an expedient job and get the guy in front of an art 32 hearing.
Being he is a General officer it will probablt take him 6 months to do something a good CID or NCIS SSgt could get done in 3 days.
Shitdahl should be in pretrail confinement as soon as he is “reintegrated”.
If he’s smart, his first phone call is to CID HQ to get said personell TDY to him.
I doubt if the whole truth will be known until after this administration is out of office.
I’ve had my T-shirt for years now. Say what you must but I find myself a little nostalgic for the old days.
Do any of you know the character of MG Dahl?. Anyone serve with him previously?
I don’t want to think the worst of him yet.
Was thinking the same. According to the article, he’s a “combat veteran”, so he might be a good guy.
Unfortunately, some publications have described Bobby (Master)Bateman as a combat vet as well. But there is always hope.
Oh, boy.
An investigation for the investigation with no time line and it going to “appointed authority”.
Even Vegas wouldn’t take those odds.
Just get the fuck out of office already.
Less we forget…
http://michellemalkin.com/2014/06/06/what-happened-to-marine-deserter-wassef-ali-hassoun/
Well far be it from me to be the wet blanket, but I like the idea that:
The Army’s top priority remains Sgt. Bergdahl’s health and reintegration. We ask that everyone respect the time and privacy necessary to accomplish the objectives of the last phase of reintegration. The investigating officer will not interview Sgt. Bergdahl until the reintegration team clears such interaction, so no timeline for completion of the investigation has been set.
The last time I checked even the UCMJ had some provision for consideration that you were not convicted until after your day in court. I don’t know what this kid is or isn’t, I know what some of his squad mates say about him which if true is pretty damning….but I’ve been around long enough on this earth to hear a great deal of awful things about someone and then when it comes to court none of it was proven beyond hearsay or conjecture.
If something comes of this and he is tried, he should get the full measure of the law. If it doesn’t come to that I’d like to think I can leave it alone and let the kid move on. Karma sorts itself out eventually, and usually with appropriate, measurable outcomes.
Sorry VOV,
But to me Terdahl should go straight from medical to an Art 31 hearing.
There is enough information on this guy to raise the serious accusation that he deserted in the face of the enemy.
He should at a minimum be restricted to base, if not put in pretrail confinement.
It might come to that, if it should prove so I’ve been pretty clear he should get what’s due a traitorous bastard.
I’ve no qualms about waiting a bit longer though, it’s been five years so far another few months for justice is hardly problematic.
VOV, your restraint is admirable but don’t you think we ought to extend the same assumption of credibility to the other members of his unit? In fact, on truly balanced scales of justice, the weight of the evidence is on their side, not Bergdahl’s.
However, all they can testify to is that he disappeared in the dark of night and that he behaved strangely prior to doing so. Anything beyond that is conjecture and inadmissible.
And as much as I consider the young man to be a deserter and likely a collaborator, once he fell into enemy hands the chance of proving those charges beyond the shadow of doubt became almost impossible.
Hopefully he will at least be convicted of leaving his post in a combat zone, busted to private and given a dishonorable discharge to set an example for future fragile flowers.
Bear in mind that you are not privy to all of the facts surrounding the case. There may be a mountain of evedence to either way that is not public knowledge. If and when it does become public knowledge then make your assertations rather than just relying on what the media reports. . . . They never slant the news to their particular political idologies do they??? Now as far as his statements and such, these should not be allowed after he is either found insufficient evedence for Article 32 proceedings or Not Guity in Article 32 proceedings, because no one is supposed to be allowed to profit from criminal actions, and dessertion is definately a criminal action.
You know what, maybe they should charge the deaths of the service members searching for him as a part of Article 32 proceedings if the Article 31 does pan out. . . . Hmmmm 5 counts of reckless endangerment at a minimum otherwise just straight out Murder by proxy??? It would be interesting wouldn’t it.
I want to see justice done. If an Article 31 finds theres not enough evidence to charge him with so be it.
If they decide to promote him, give him a medal, back pay and an honorable discharge so be it.
Until they decide if they are going to charge him or not he needs to be kept close. No book deals, no letterman show, no leave or liberty.
I still can’t make a decision until all the facts are in on this one. Looks like a lot of political bullshit interjected itself into a military matter. As a Marine, who has been in the suck at a f.o.b., I know it isn’t easy to come or go without being seen by those on duty or outside on patrol.
It appears like his own guys let him walk. If they knew he was so fucked up, why didn’t any of the six who have come forward and get in this PFC’s shit? Looks like he left, but with a little help. Army is a little different I guess.
I will reserve my condemnation of the young man until after he offers a statement and the general puts it all together.
I haven’t heard of one soldier who served with him in Afghanistan come forward to defend him. That alone speaks volumes. Even if the guy were a flaming soup sandwich, if the stuff that was being said about him was untrue, someone in his company would have said something.
I agree with you that he needs to be found legally guilty in a legal proceeding, following all regs, etc. etc. etc.
And yes, legally he’s innocent until proven guilty.
That said… I’ve read enough reporting to be 100 percent convinced that he is a traitor who needs to face a firing squad. This is my own assessment based on a shitload of information I’ve read over the past few weeks, dating back to when this bag of shit went walkies. The public may never know the truth. The media has only partial reporting. Rosen did a good job, and the sources he has are solid. That said… There is no doubt in my mind. None.
Me, either.
I volunteer to be the firing squad. One round, up close and personal, between the eyes with a M-1911A1 … custom load hollow point.
Unless there’s some evidence that Bergdahl was kidnapped ON post, it’s pretty clear he walked off. Last time I checked, there was no provision that said you could take 3 AM walks in the moonlight down to the nearby village and ask for an English interpreter so you might speak to the Taliban.
LET THEIR BE LIGHT!!
Sapper3307…Yes Sir, please let there be the light of truth shown on Bergdahl and this whole situation. Untainted by the DoD or the Administration.
Sir:
Not a former soldier, but if you expect the truth from this admin, or the Dod, you are dreaming.
Andrew…I don’t and never have. That way I have never been disappointed.
What are the odds that this investigation gets completely butt fucked or micromanaged by the Valerie Jarret administration.
Sounds like the MG just got his early retirement package handed to him.
His wife was my Deputy Division Surgeon when I was a Division Chief of Staff. I met him and he seemed to be solid. I have remained in contact and have followed his career. I have no reason to suspect that he will do anything than his best.
hit send too fast: “…that he will do anything other than his best…”
Sorry for tripping over myself on that.
Dave, thanks for the info about the MG. I truly hope you are correct and he does and reports a solid job on this investigation, whether it means his career or not. Hopefully he is a good enough man and Officer that he will not be swayed by anyone or anything except the facts of the case.
Dave, thanks for speaking up. You have to have been at the very least an O-6 so your observations here on military machinations in the upper echelons are quite valuable.
Please continue to stay hooked up here and provide us with your views from your senior officer perspective.
If nothing else, that they put a major General in charge of what should be handled by on O-3 tells you that this is very, very political. (Also tells you how many stinkin’ generals we have to spare!)I guess whether it has a predetermined conclusion depends on just how seriously the good general takes his adherence to “Duty, Honor, Country”.
David…Well said. I hope so too.
He’s a Field Artillery guy with a Masters Degree in Social Psychology. I’m not optimistic.
Submit your FOIA now. The appointing orders will define the breadth and scope of the investigation. Despite Barry’s bet efforts the Army knows its paper trail. Any deviation or expansion of the 15-6 will require written guidance. The POTUS might (won’t) like the results but the Big Green Machine grinds on slowly but surely.
Contrary to breathless press reports a 15-6 is not a grand jury. Had they bothered to attend Journalism 101 they would have found that is an Article 32 hearing.
BLUF…watch our nation’s highest paid fairway hack back pedal away from this slime ball and his family.
Elric…Good insight. I think that is where it will head. When the polish on this turd wears off and there are no more shiny colors to cover it with, Obama will back peddle and perhaps, maybe just perhaps, try to come out as savior again to his voters by calling Bergdahl anything other than he has, which is a “hero and now returned home POW”.
Ken Doll?
Who of you have heard of a MG presiding over an Article 32 for what was a PFC at the time of the event? MG Dahl is a political plant from the Warehouse (yes the Warehouse at 1600 Penn Av.) It is a Catch 22 for the MG, who I respect for his service to the greatest country on earth. If he doesn’t render an innocent verdict career ended. Pleased he is of age and years served to retire. So I feel his decision will be valid and can retire with honor.
My daughter at Ft Bragg told me there is no love to put it mildly on Base for this shit weasel. Just how are they going to reintegrate someone that everyone hates?
I served under mg dahl when he was an Ltc in the 25th ID 2/11 FAMILY battalion. He was a very fair commander and he will get to the bottom of things.
It just might be that the brass in the military is more in charge of OBAMA than OBAMA is in charge of the military . Because I could not help but notice that the last four letters of BIRDDOGS name made it look
Like MG KENNETH R. DAHL were from the same tribe . But the GENERALS BIO reads impeccable .
Just as aWESTPOINT graduate should be . I think OBAMA got what he wanted, that was an excuse to vacate as many GUESTS from GITMO as possible . From here on he DON’T GIVE A DAMN, SCARLET,
MY DEAR!!!
Did the General Dahl get his pentals in active combate or behind a desk in th camps confinds?
Did General Dahl get his metals in combat or behind a desk in a protected compound area? Did anyone serve with him in combat?