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[Maninthemirror]

Remember Bergdahl, who US brought back after giving up 5 taliban members? well he is being charged for desertation

http://abcnews.go.com/International/bowe-bergdahl-charged-desertion-lawyer/story?id=29901602

American soldier and former Taliban captive Bowe Bergdahl has been charged with desertion for allegedly walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, Bergdahl's attorney told ABC News today.

Bergdahl was freed after five years in Taliban captivity in a controversial deal last year in which the U.S. agreed to release five mid- to high-level Taliban figures from detention in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

President Obama called it a "good day" when Bergdahl was freed, but critics, including some high-ranking Republicans, loudly denounced the deal, likening it to negotiating with terrorists. Also, lawmakers complained that Congress had not been consulted about the exchange, as they said the law requires.

After Bergdahl's dramatic return to the U.S., the Army launched an investigation into whether the soldier willfully left his post in Afghanistan before he was taken by the Taliban in 2009, as some Afghan war veterans alleged.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Desertion?

 

[Maninthemirror]

Desertion?

oops fix the wording mods

 

[statham]

well he did walk off his post, but I would think 5 years of prisonment by the Taliban would be penalty enough, maybe it'll just be a star next to his name? no prison time?

 

[speculawyer]

Good.

 

[Grym]

I dunno....I mean, I get it...but hasn't he gone through punishment enough?

 

[Circle Jerk]

Is there a chance this is only to boot him from the army? Surely they wouldn't be idiotic and psychotic enough to put him in prison right?... Right?

 

[Patryn]

well he did walk off his post, but I would think 5 years of prisonment by the Taliban would be penalty enough, maybe it'll just be a star next to his name? no prison time?

Dishonorable Discharge, I'm guessing.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Dishonorable Discharge, I'm guessing.

Ditto. At this point, I suspect that most parties involved just want the whole thing to be over. Kick him out, put it to rest.

 

[Coins]

Good. He should go to jail. He left his post. He gave an oath and there should be serious repercussions for breaking it.

 

[Trouble]

well he did walk off his post, but I would think 5 years of prisonment by the Taliban would be penalty enough, maybe it'll just be a star next to his name? no prison time?

Seriously, call it time served.

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

Should be charged and imprisoned.

 

[Coins]

People died indirectly because of him.

 

[Epsilon-delta]

Probably going to Leavenworth and then get a DD.

A DD means he is basically screwed for life.

 

[Dishwalla]

Probably going to Leavenworth and then get a DD.

A DD means he is basically screwed for life.

Except if he stays in his small town in Idaho, where he is still a hero.

 

[cheekymunky]

I dunno....I mean, I get it...but hasn't he gone through punishment enough?

Yeah man...lets just let him get on with his life. Ever after multiple people were killed as a direct result of his actions....I mean, he learned his lesson right.

 

[Grym]

Yeah man...lets just let him get on with his life. Ever after multiple people were killed as a direct result of his actions....I mean, he learned his lesson right.

And he was taken and tortured by the enemy for years.

I understand the call of punishment. Maybe a dishonorable discharge or whatever. But I still go back and forth because he has been punished - and quite severely - for his actions (maybe not officially by us yet which is why I waver). He was kept in cruel and unusual punishment and tortured by the enemy already so I'm not sure what else is needed to "stick it too him and teach him a lesson" or whatever you're looking for.

 

[Coins]

And he was taken and tortured by the enemy for years.

I understand the call of punishment. Maybe a dishonorable discharge or whatever. But I still go back and forth because he has been punished - and quite severely - for his actions (maybe not officially by us yet which is why I waver). He was kept in cruel and unusual punishment and tortured by the enemy already so I'm not sure what else is needed to "stick it too him and teach him a lesson" or whatever you're looking for.

If I rob a bank, and get shot and paralyzed on my attempt to escape, no one will care. I'll still be charged and punished as usual.

Again, people died as a result of what he did.

 

[Epsilon-delta]

And he was taken and tortured by the enemy for years.

I understand the call of punishment. Maybe a dishonorable discharge or whatever. But I still go back and forth because he has been punished - and quite severely - for his actions (maybe not officially by us yet which is why I waver). He was kept in cruel and unusual punishment and tortured by the enemy already so I'm not sure what else is needed to "stick it too him and teach him a lesson" or whatever you're looking for.

If you purposefully violate your 5th general order, the military will have no sympathy for you.

 

[prwxv3]

Good.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

If I rob a bank, and get shot and paralyzed on my attempt to escape, no one will care. I'll still be charged and punished as usual.

Again, people died as a result of what he did.

Yea, I said it then and I'll say it again: I have zero sympathy for the guy. He willingly left his post and deserted.

I'm glad he got charged. No way should we be pretending like this guy was proudly serving and was then captured.

Do I think he will get jail time? Of course not. But he should be charged, convicted and dishonorably discharged.

 

[Delta Assault]

We really should've just let him rot over there.

 

[Clydefrog]

Get desertated!

 

[davepoobond]

We really should've just let him rot over there.

No, I'd rather he come back and rot in our prisons.

 

[see5harp]

He turned himself into a desert though?

 

[Escape Goat]

Whether he deserted or not really isn't relevant. He is an American soldier and had not been convicted of a crime. It was the duty of the military to bring him home. If he is convicted then let the punishment fit the crime.

 

[Uzzy]

We really should've just let him rot over there.

No man left behind.. unless it's alleged he did something wrong, in which case he can rot. Right?

 

[BannedEpisode]

Charge him and send him to trial.

If found guilty he should be punished as is standard. Not that crazy.

Edit: I'm not a judge or Jury though, so who am I to say what should happen.

 

[Delta Assault]

No man left behind.. unless it's alleged he did something wrong, in which case he can rot. Right?

If the cost is negotiating with terrorists? Absolutely.

 

[Escape Goat]

If the cost is negotiating with terrorists? Absolutely.

They were due to be released anyways.

 

[davepoobond]

If the cost is negotiating with terrorists? Absolutely.

Keep people who are going to be released indefinitely so that a US soldier gets murdered or held for life by they Taliban?

Sounds real smart.

 

[Jackie Chiles]

Time to pay the piper, Bergdahl.

 

[antonz]

Deserves to rot in Jail but will likely be quietly kicked out with a Dishonorable Discharge because of politics.

After all he "served with honor and distinction" and all that bullshit from the White House.

 

[benjipwns]

Deserves to rot in Jail but will likely be quietly kicked out with a Dishonorable Discharge because of politics.

After all he "served with honor and distinction" and all that bullshit from the White House.

 

[antonz]

https://horseradish.s3.amazonaws.com/CACHE/images/photos/cd/1a/ab0815f94147/Politwoops-Bergdahl-deletions-800.jpg

Stupidity all around doesn't make it any less stupidity. It was documented from the get go he was a likely deserter who locals even commented on a wandering soldier asking to be directed to the Taliban.

Can be happy he is home but there is no reason to be trying to paint the man as some sort of hero when he is facing serious accusations of treason among other things. It was a Rah Rah Rah moment that backfired because the guy is scum

 

[Eighty Deuce]

Nobody escapes a big green assfucking from the army. They practically live for this type of thing.

 

[SURGEdude]

If he did actually desert his post willingly and got people killed he should get a dishonorable discharge and removal of benefits. I'm not sure about getting locked up though. Assuming he didn't want to join with the enemy of course.

 

[Coriolanus]

Again, people died as a result of what he did.

Fat lot of good keeping him in jail would do to them.

 

[YoungHav]

What if he sought the Taliban to try to kill them directly? They assumed he tried to join them?

 

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Desertion's going to be tough to prove, and there's the mitigating factor of his time spent with the Taliban (although, that's only for the sentencing case). On the other hand, it seems a pretty open and shut AWOL case.

For reference, it's the "intent to remain away permanently" element in art. 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that's going to be difficult.

 

[SURGEdude]

What if he sought the Taliban to try to kill them directly? They assumed he tried to join them?

Then he did a pretty crappy job.

 

[Velcro Fly]

More proof that Susan Rice is a fucking moron and no one should believe a word she says.

Served with honor and distinction? Yeah let's ask the people that served with him how they feel about that.

 

[ramuh]

If desertion is proven then his ass needs to serve a lot of jail time. His rescue attempt cost American lives. 6 American Lives.

 

[Pinko Marx]

I dunno....I mean, I get it...but hasn't he gone through punishment enough?

The Army doesn't give a fuck about that. He broke a cardinal rule and other soldier's lives were lost because of him. They want, metaphorically speaking, blood.

 

[SliceSabre]

The question I still want answered is why he freaking did it?

From what I've read he just left the base, came into contact with some locals and was eventually captured. Like what the hell was he thinking?

 

[CrimzonSamurai]

I think he'll be convicted and then pardoned. Everyone gets a little bit of what they want that way and you don't trade 5 members of enemy leadership just to let someone sit in a cell. At the end of the play everyone will clap and move on.