Bergdahl not responsible

a reply to: WanDash I can't point you to an article but only tv interviews with his platoon at the time. The ones that were next to him all seem to be telling the same story about kia's during search efforts during the weeks after his desertion. They are all saying that after a few weeks all the enemies sop changed to become more effective. perhaps hannity pay's good fox money for these interviews but i don't think so.

I feel for the guy, its apparent he had mental issues before he deserted or was captured. Too bad none in his squad tried to get him some help, if there was so many warning signs and so much said, wasn't there duty to help? I have read that these soldiers are being coached on what to say to the press from a former Mitt Romney aid.

Dude spends 5 years a prisoner,you can add even more mental illness and now he is released and the republicans are making this a political mud-fest because they hate Obama.....

I bet he offs himself.

Oh and as for the soldiers that lost there lives, they would have done patrols whether he deserted or not, and to blame him for deaths a month or 2 months after the fact?

I'm just having a hard time coping with all in his squad being against him, yet as far as anyone knows, not one stood up and said he could be having problems.... and being coached by :

A group of soldiers from Bergdahl's unit in Afghanistan accused him of desertion. Their claims -- not confirmed by the Pentagon, which is investigating -- responded to how Bergdahl was lauded by the White House as a hero when there were questions about his disappearance. Those soldiers said several troops were killed in efforts to find him, another claim the military has not confirmed.

Republican strategist, Richard Grenell, who BuzzFeed reported helped get the soldiers' side of the story out to such media outlets as the New York Times, worked on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

Grenell declined to comment on his efforts to CNN

Rhetoric and rancor:

originally posted by: LDragonFire
I feel for the guy, its apparent he had mental issues before he deserted or was captured. Too bad none in his squad tried to get him some help, if there was so many warning signs and so much said, wasn't there duty to help? I have read that these soldiers are being coached on what to say to the press from a former Mitt Romney aid.

One of the first political lessons I learned happened during the Kerry campaign back in 2004. The Republicans were going on about his army record and they were trying to figure out if he actually served in the area he was supposed to. The best defense the Republicans gave when talking about his record was "We shouldn't let the facts get in the way of the seriousness of the charge".

The same thing is happening here. We have people being coached on what to say and we have the Pentagon confirming virtually nothing. Until something more concrete comes out there's no story here... but even then I still don't see a story.

a reply to: deadeyedick
Thanks.
It does seem that a lot of resources were focused on getting him back...for a while.

a reply to: Aazadan

I don't think anyone cares about the truth or facts. The opinion of am radio and alleged secret reports from fox is enough.

a reply to: LDragonFire

I'll bet he doesn't 'Off' himself. I'll bet he's on a flight to Pakistan or some other way point to cross the border and work his way back. Just as soon as he's clear enough for a period of time to manage it.

That wouldn't shock me a bit to see within just a few months time of him being physically clear of U.S. complications.

There are some serious things being said about the guy....and all I'll say is the truth is out there and it was what many of the media now acting baffled were swimming in for data during 2011. Apparently, a good many of them never DID read that stuff and this would be a funny way to see it proven ..but for the fact this isn't a funny situation to watch unfold, eh?

originally posted by: LDragonFire
a reply to: Aazadan



I don't think anyone cares about the truth or facts. The opinion of am radio and alleged secret reports from fox is enough.

It is a hellva system cause then any reports will be redacted or classified forever. I tend to go by the first reports at the time and that was that he was a deserter. Past that point it looks as though both sides of our political spectrum has minipulated the info to serve their agenda at the time.

originally posted by: LDragonFire
...I have read that these soldiers are being coached on what to say to the press from a former Mitt Romney aid.

I find it interesting that they are getting to say anything...
From page 6 of the article linked in my comment on the previous page -
America's Last Prisoner of War...

Members of Bowe's brigade were required to sign nondisclosure agreements as part of their paperwork to leave Afghanistan. The agreement, according to Capt. Fancey, forbids them to discuss any "personnel recovery" efforts – an obvious reference to Bowe.

a reply to: WanDash

I haven't researched the non discloser agreement other than they have violated it. Doesn't everyone leaving Afghanistan have to sign one or is it just this group?

a reply to: Wrabbit2000The surprise in their reporting is quite telling. You know that for the most part their stratagies work on the americans because we never pay much attention and are quick to forget details.

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

I don't know. Deserting your unit (not proven but seems very likely), being kept as a POW, then coming home and hearing half the country in an uproar saying you should have been left to rot rather than give up 5 terrorists, then have those people call you a traitor, and already being guilty of treason in the court of public opinion? Even the welcome home event in his home town was canceled due to the uproar of people that want to see him hang.

To be a POW for years and then come home to a country where half the people legitimately hate you and want to see you suffer.

I would be legitimately surprised if he doesn't kill himself. Many other people have killed themselves due to media attention for much less.

This isn't to say that he's automatically innocent or anything, maybe he really should spend time in prison for what he did. I just find it irresponsible to condemn the guy right now on the chance that he's innocent. But hey, lynch mobs don't care about the facts.

originally posted by: deadeyedick
I don't think anyone cares about the truth or facts. The opinion of am radio and alleged secret reports from fox is enough. It is a hellva system cause then any reports will be redacted or classified forever. I tend to go by the first reports at the time and that was that he was a deserter. Past that point it looks as though both sides of our political spectrum has minipulated the info to serve their agenda at the time.

Yep. I wouldn't be surprised to learn he was a deserter. I also wouldn't be surprised to find out that he tried to find sanctuary with the enemy only for them to capture him instead. People can make bad choices and they can get mixed up, especially when put in a harsh situation. I don't want to put too much stock in the reports coming out but from what was said I don't think he had the right mental makeup to be a soldier on the front lines. As I said earlier though I think it's preferable for him to have deserted than to have shut down in a combat situation.

In any event, we have him back and we got him in a very favorable deal in my opinion. Let the military investigate and decide what to do from here. They have the facts, we don't.

originally posted by: LDragonFire
I haven't researched the non discloser agreement other than they have violated it. Doesn't everyone leaving Afghanistan have to sign one or is it just this group?

Good question... Sorry - I do not know the answer.

a reply to: Aazadan


Facts are what I'm going on at this point. I was slow to fully come up to speed on the facts. I'll admit that, in terms of a breaking and fast moving story. My focus was fully engaged in other directions.

It's taken awhile to find the raw reports, line by line, in the Afghan after action reports and incident reports released by Wikileaks years ago, as just one example. (back before anyone had any reason to care or think anyone WOULD care what it said for the truth and facts of what happened out there.) At least what those living it, in those days, believed happened and on the record.

That's enough for me to start forming personal conclusions and I'm not serving in his court martial (lucky him). He's guilty as sin itself of desertion. Cookies to him for going out of his way to take nothing physically compromising with him and he may honestly have thought that would slow down the U.S. response. It didn't.. It increased it, if anything. No one likes a mystery and they had themselves one. It reads that way, too. He DOES deserve his trial..and I DO hope he gets one. Fair but comprehensive.

Nothing we can link to here on source, but not a challenge to find if news hounds here didn't squirrel that stuff away back when it was fresh out.

originally posted by: Wrabbit2000
...He's guilty as sin itself of desertion. Cookies to him for going out of his way to take nothing physically compromising with him and he may honestly have thought that would slow down the U.S. response.... ...

I always regard your thoughts and opinion...
Don't always agree...so - the fact that I continue to want to see what you have to say on a topic, should say something of my appreciation.
In this case, I would agree that 'technically/legally' he is guilty of desertion.
There is, however, a legal principle, colloquially named "Bait & Switch" (initially related to retail advertising & sales), which I believe has a significant footprint in this matter.
He was purportedly 'sold' on the idea that he was going to Afghanistan/Pakistan to help these peoples rebuild.
While some are painting him to have been 'out of his element' (as a wartime soldier)...he was actually counted as one of the more 'gung-ho' of the lot. Others partied - he studied Ranger manuals. He was, perhaps, an idealist. He hated the contempt U.S. soldiers had for the locals. He hated the ineptitudes of those up-the-ladder of command. The same things we, at home, were appalled at (soldiers killing, maiming, raping, and otherwise violating enemy combatants and foreign-locals), appalled him, as well... And - he was there, to witness it... (I have yet to watch the BBC documentary that included his company/group)
If WE, civilians, work for a company that is oppressing people, sidestepping the law, destroying the environment, avoiding legal responsibilities...etc... What does everyone say?
"QUIT! If you signed a NDA, you're violating the law, if you 'spill the beans'...and deserve punishment to the fullest extent of the law (civil, or criminal). So - Go find another job...or...face the wrath of...THE LAW YOU VOWED TO UPHOLD!"
Yeah - - - - - - - - - That's what we're told.
Personally - I think he tried to have some integrity...when everything around looked like anything-but honorable.
Did he make the wrong choice?
Who knows?
Every choice has consequences.
I do not expect him to suicide.
I, personally, think he has been exposed to enough life to choose Life...if he has not become so disillusioned as to think there is no reason to...complete his own.
At least... I hope so.

a reply to: WanDash

We're keeping in mind he was on his first deployment and in-country for around a month when he hit the bricks and went native..right? He wasn't some tired old veteran who was on the wrong side of too much seen and done. (Like Sgt Bales, for instance)

He'd just arrived. Prior to getting there, he'd had a personal interest in learning the local language with Rosetta Stone (that is worth mentioning for anyone who has used that system. It's NOT a cheap path to take). He even got himself a civilian Ak-47 variant to learn before deploying by the reports of his fellow soldiers. Something they found odd at the time.

Now I get the argument of 'bait and switch'. It's a very general anti-war argument as old as war itself, I'd imagine. Guys sent to Korea were literally reported to be finding it on maps for the first time, after seeing the name on orders. The guys in Vietnam sure weren't thrown on the plane with plans of directing Arc Light strikes much less My Lai.

All these things have their place, but I don't think the grand scope of the war itself or the habits of Army recruiting bear much for a guy who walked off post, in a combat zone and actively sought out forces on the other side. I mean, in the end, whatever else we add to it? That's the bottom line which the record appears to support.

originally posted by: Wrabbit2000
...All these things have their place, but I don't think the grand scope of the war itself or the habits of Army recruiting bear much for a guy who walked off post, in a combat zone and actively sought out forces on the other side. I mean, in the end, whatever else we add to it? That's the bottom line which the record appears to support.

I disagree.
That being said - if you are wanting to debate your stance, I will engage.
Otherwise, we're dealing with limited and varying datasets of information.
I respect that you have your opinion...which is in direct opposition to my own.
Thanks for the diatribe.

a reply to: WanDash

We each do have our own opinions... I'll agree to disagree in this case and most certainly avoid wasting any more of your time with..diatribes.

Have a good night.

originally posted by: Wrabbit2000
a reply to: WanDash

We each do have our own opinions... I'll agree to disagree in this case and most certainly avoid wasting any more of your time with..diatribes.

Have a good night.

You as well.
Be well.

you cant blame other people's death to bergdahl. blame the enemy freedom fighters who killed them to defend their country from illegal occupation by USA.

why people so quick to blame this guy ? he just a guy who see the truth and lost faith of american military. The current American military is not the same one that liberate french, Today the US military is an illegal occupation tool used by their goverment as licenses robbers. People think to be patriotic you must support US military no matter what it did. These simple minded people forgot to use their brain and thinking cap and swallow everything the goverment said.

ONLY in AMERICA you saw a murderer and killer with over 250+ kills in an illegal war , worshipped as a hero and showered with adulation and honor.. and yet a man who follow his conscience and did the right thing are judged and condemned as a traitor and deserter..