US soldier freed from captivity in Afghanistan

[spookyturtle 9,466]

We have some members here who are in the military or who have served. I'd like to hear their take on this and what they know about normal procedure in a case of desertion. It seems to me that an investigation is in order, especially to see if he did aid and abet the enemy. It seems like the desertion is a given. What happens to a deserter?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I think a little lienency could be shown or a little "time served" considering the conditions. If the guy is really "broken" let him go to a treatment facility. I don't know what he went through but it has to weigh in some I would think.

I don't think any us literally mean he should have been hung. However he continued to be promoted. I think he needs to be given a BCD as a min.

The trading 5 very dangerous operatives for him is the bigger deal. Obama did it in direct violation of the law

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

We have some members here who are in the military or who have served. I'd like to hear their take on this and what they know about normal procedure in a case of desertion. It seems to me that an investigation is in order, especially to see if he did aid and abet the enemy. It seems like the desertion is a given. What happens to a deserter?

It depends. Kids fiancee dumps him, and he leaves FT Bragg and goes and hides at home. Probably a less than honorable and maybe a little brig time

Desertion on the battlefield is a bit more serious. BCD for sure and probably longer brig time

[GandD 5,966]

I don't think any us literally mean he should have been hung. However he continued to be promoted. I think he needs to be given a BCD as a min.

The trading 5 very dangerous operatives for him is the bigger deal. Obama did it in direct violation of the law

I disagree with hanging him. What's the current laws regarding desertion? Not hanging......

I don't agree with the trade either. Like I said earlier, trading with this type of organization gives them legitimacy.

Edited June 3, 2014 by GandD

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

We have some members here who are in the military or who have served. I'd like to hear their take on this and what they know about normal procedure in a case of desertion. It seems to me that an investigation is in order, especially to see if he did aid and abet the enemy. It seems like the desertion is a given. What happens to a deserter?

Depends on the situation. During wartime, you could be killed for it. Nowadays, not so much. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/132502p.pdf Pretty long read, but basically covers everything. Most of the time, they don't even look for you. You're flagged in the system, so if you apply for a job that uses SSN or you get pulled over, that's how they'll catch you. I've known folks whose family members went AWOL from back in the day(Vietnam) and they're still on the run.

The latest batch came from the Iraq/Afghanistan war. When 9/11 happened, we were more than willing to run over there and fight this glorious battle. Problem was, no one thought it would last this long. You've got military members doing 4+ rotations downrange, this will affect anyone. I saw people throw away their careers because they didn't want to go back. At least they got out. In some units, when stop loss happened, you had to stay in. And this is when some people deserted.

I've kept my opinion on this silent because I feel like this is a situation I can't comment on unless I know all the facts. I know that the POTUS was in between a rock and a hard place. No matter what decision he made, he was going to get roasted.

[Karee 4,191]

I think a little lienency could be shown or a little "time served" considering the conditions. If the guy is really "broken" let him go to a treatment facility. I don't know what he went through but it has to weigh in some I would think.

There's the (not so) small matter of the soldiers that died looking for him.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Depends on the situation. During wartime, you could be killed for it. Nowadays, not so much. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/132502p.pdf Pretty long read, but basically covers everything. Most of the time, they don't even look for you. You're flagged in the system, so if you apply for a job that uses SSN or you get pulled over, that's how they'll catch you. I've known folks whose family members went AWOL from back in the day(Vietnam) and they're still on the run.

The latest batch came from the Iraq/Afghanistan war. When 9/11 happened, we were more than willing to run over there and fight this glorious battle. Problem was, no one thought it would last this long. You've got military members doing 4+ rotations downrange, this will affect anyone. I saw people throw away their careers because they didn't want to go back. At least they got out. In some units, when stop loss happened, you had to stay in. And this is when some people deserted.

I've kept my opinion on this silent because I feel like this is a situation I can't comment on unless I know all the facts. I know that the POTUS was in between a rock and a hard place. No matter what decision he made, he was going to get roasted.

He was not between a rock and hard place. Not releasing 5 hard core Taliban high level leaders for a pow is beyond a bad decision. I don't care if he was a highly respected super sailor like yourself, NO

[GandD 5,966]

There's the (not so) small matter of the soldiers that died looking for him.

I know that. And I'm not insensitive to it. But if he's mentally done as a result of years of torture, what more can you do? At some point a military judge should weigh the entire circumstance and make a decision. It's not like that would be out if the ordinary.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

He was not between a rock and hard place. Not releasing 5 hard core Taliban high level leaders for a pow is beyond a bad decision. I don't care if he was a highly respected super sailor like yourself, NO

We don't know that. We're talking pure speculation at this point. It's either he made a big screw up or he weighed the risk against the gain. Either way, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.

Had he not negotiated, there would have been folks saying he doesn't care about our service members. Give it time, let everything come out first.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I know that. And I'm not insensitive to it. But if he's mentally done as a result of years of torture, what more can you do? At some point a military judge should weigh the entire circumstance and make a decision. It's not like that would be out if the ordinary.

Torture ???

You sure ?

We don't know that. We're talking pure speculation at this point. It's either he made a big screw up or he weighed the risk against the gain. Either way, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.

Had he not negotiated, there would have been folks saying he doesn't care about our service members. Give it time, let everything come out first.

This much we agree with

[GandD 5,966]

Torture ???

You sure ?

I'm not. I'm saying if.

[Peikko 1,575]

I see you have 26k+ posts here on VJ. I'd think you would understand that a good part of this particular forum is speculation and opinion. Without that, they might as well take it down and post the dictionary. Although some would probably try to speculate on the contents of that. Also, as soon as you say you wont speculate, you do just that in your 3rd paragraph, so I'm kind of confused here.

Well, at least you admit you are speculating. at least that's something

I'll try it another way. Let's start with what we do know, we know that he left the camp without permission, without weaponry and with very limited personal equipment. We know that the camp was in hostile territory and we know he was alone when he left. What is the most likely explanation for something like that? Based on the questions we know he asked and his known actions, why leap immediately to some kind of conspiracy theory when the most likely explanation is a mental breakdown of some description? I don't know about you, but if I was thinking of going on some kind of spying mission either for or against the US, the last thing I am going to do is ask my superior if he minds if I toddle off base with my military equipment. It simply doesn't sound planned or thought out in any way.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I'm not. I'm saying if.

i am suspecting he left to go find them. He had sent an E-mail to his parents saying he ws ashamed of America and did not agree with what they were doing to the people. Then walked off into the night

As Marvin said.. The truth will come out

[GandD 5,966]

i am suspecting he left to go find them. He had sent an E-mail to his parents saying he ws ashamed of America and did not agree with what they were doing to the people. Then walked off into the night

As Marvin said.. The truth will come out

If that's what happened, it changes things completely. I guess we'll see.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's clear where some have found their speculations. Anyway, from the BBC

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, 28, is being treated after his release on Saturday in exchange for five senior Afghan Taliban figures held at Guantanamo Bay. The prisoner swap has been criticised by Republicans who warn it could put Americans at risk in the future. How he was captured is unclear, with some accusing him of being a deserter. There is speculation he may have walked away from his base out of disillusionment with the US campaign in Afghanistan. But his hometown of Hailey, Idaho, is preparing to welcome him back as a hero, with a homecoming event later this month. "We love Bowe and we're just glad that he's safe," Stefanie O'Neill, a family friend and organiser, told CNN.

It is unclear how long Sgt Bergdahl will remain in hospital, where he is receiving treatment for "dietary and nutrition needs", the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center wrote in a statement.

line.

The desertion debate

US soldiers belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are silhouetted as they walk during a patrol outside Bagram airbase, 50 kms north of Kabul on 28 February 2009. There are questions regarding exactly how Sgt Bergdahl was captured by Taliban forces in 2009, with some reports indicating that he left his post without authorisation. In the Daily Beast, soldier-turned-journalist Nathan Bradley Bethea details his experience as part of the extensive search-and-rescue effort the US military conducted after Sgt Bergdahl's disappearance - and its cost. "Bergdahl was a deserter," he writes, "and soldiers from his own unit died trying to track him down."

Other soldiers emphasised that the US pledge to rescue captured troops, no matter the cost, is a comfort to those in combat.

Soldiers conflicted on Bergdahl release

On Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney dismissed the criticism, saying the exchange "was absolutely the right thing to do". "The United States does not leave our men and women behind in conflict," Mr Carney said. Sgt Bergdahl was handed over to US commandos in Afghanistan on Saturday in a rare peaceful encounter between two military forces who have been fighting one another for more than ten years. The five Guantanamo detainees, who have been turned over to the custody of the Qatari government, are thought to be the most senior Afghans held at the US detention facility in Cuba, having been captured during America's military campaign in 2001. In an emotional address on Sunday, Sgt Bergdahl's father, Robert Bergdahl, said he was proud of how far his son was willing to go to help the Afghan people, but warned that his recovery would take a long time. Video has emerged purporting to show the Taliban prisoners arriving in Qatar

Several Republicans have spoken out against the deal, warning that it set a worrying precedent and amounted to negotiating with terrorists. On Sunday, Republican Senator John McCain, who was himself held prisoner in Vietnam for years, said the detainees were some of the "highest high-risk people". Mr McCain said the Taliban released were "possibly responsible for the deaths of thousands" and may have "the ability to re-enter the fight", in comments to CBS TV. Questions were raised over the legality of the deal, after the Obama administration did not give Congress the 30 days' notice required by law before initiating the transfer of the Taliban detainees. But US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the military had to act quickly "to essentially save his life".

"We didn't negotiate with terrorists. Sergeant Bergdahl was a prisoner of war. That's a normal process in getting your prisoners back," he told NBC. Jani and Bob Bergdahl spoke of their love and pride for their son, Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, and said he would need time to ''decompress''

The Afghan government, which was not informed until after the exchange had taken place, also condemned it as a "breach of international law" and urged the US and Qatar to "let the men go free"."No state can transfer another country's citizen to a third country and put restriction on their freedom," the country's foreign ministry said in a statement. In a rare public statement on Sunday, Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar described the exchange as a "big victory". But President Barack Obama said that he had received security guarantees from Qatar - which mediated the deal - "that it will put in place measures to protect our national security".They have been banned from leaving Qatar for at least a year. Sgt Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, was the only US soldier being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was serving with an infantry regiment in Paktika province, near the Pakistani border, when he went missing on 30 June 2009.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27670385

So, from this we don't actually know that he did desert although it is quite likely.