Posted on Sep 12, 2015
Does Bergdahl deserve to be punished? Navy SEAL shares dramatic attempt to save Bowe Bergdahl.
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When Navy SEAL Jimmy Hatch first heard of the captured Bowe Bergdahl, he thought to himself, "Somebody's going to get killed looking for this kid -- killed or hurt." He was right.
There are two videos on this page, I encourage you to watch both of them and then provide your feedback, your thoughts. Was the cost of lives and injuries worth it to go after him? and was it worth it to trade five enemy combatants for him?
When the two helicopters touched down during a rescue attempt shortly after Bergdahl vanished, the team immediately came under heavy fire. With a dog named Remco -- who ended up being shot -- they advanced. But Hatch was eventually shot right above his knee, and the helicopters had to be called back in to extract the wounded SEAL.
"I took a lot of that on myself. I felt like maybe if I had done things just a little differently -- not gotten hurt -- you know, the mission wouldn't have failed," Hatch said. "There's no way to know that. At the time, it was a failure to me and I was the cause of it."
Was the cost of lives and injuries worth it to go after him? and was it worth it to trade five enemy combatants for him?
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/11/politics/navy-seal-bowe-bergdahl-anderson-cooper/index.html
There are two videos on this page, I encourage you to watch both of them and then provide your feedback, your thoughts. Was the cost of lives and injuries worth it to go after him? and was it worth it to trade five enemy combatants for him?
When the two helicopters touched down during a rescue attempt shortly after Bergdahl vanished, the team immediately came under heavy fire. With a dog named Remco -- who ended up being shot -- they advanced. But Hatch was eventually shot right above his knee, and the helicopters had to be called back in to extract the wounded SEAL.
"I took a lot of that on myself. I felt like maybe if I had done things just a little differently -- not gotten hurt -- you know, the mission wouldn't have failed," Hatch said. "There's no way to know that. At the time, it was a failure to me and I was the cause of it."
Was the cost of lives and injuries worth it to go after him? and was it worth it to trade five enemy combatants for him?
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/11/politics/navy-seal-bowe-bergdahl-anderson-cooper/index.html
Bergdahl
PTSD
Desertion
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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To answer the main question directly, yes he deserves to be punished if the crimes he is accused of are proven in a court. As for the sub-question, was it worth it to risk injuries or lives in an attempt to rescue a missing Soldier, the answer is yes. Without having concrete facts of why/how he left in those early days, it is our obligation to leave no Soldier behind. As for the sub-question on trading 5 enemy combatants for Bergdahl, the answer is a resounding NO. If a private is worth 5 enemy, how much more can they get for a senior NCO or officer? Now, terrorists know we are willing to "negotiate" for prisoner swaps and they will now target senior military personnel, since we must be more "valuable".
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There were also a lot of my buddies who suffered while out looking for this piece of trash! Prison is where he needs to spend the rest of his life!
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SSG (Join to see)
Obviously they won't charge him with treason, although I feel like they probably could considering they are charging him with Misbehaving Before the Enemy and Desertion.
If he is found guilty of the Misbehaving charge, he will be serving life in prison. If he is put into General Population, it will be a very short life sentence.
If he is found guilty of the Misbehaving charge, he will be serving life in prison. If he is put into General Population, it will be a very short life sentence.
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Yes he deserves to be punished, and deserves a traitors fate. The cost of the lives lost or injured was not worth this POS. Definitely not worth trading 5 Gitmo Taliban leaders. Worst part was Susan Rice trying to justify this move saying the POS served with honor and distinction. Should have been charger with treason, and the murders of the lost servicemen.
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I agree with never leaving any of our own behind, there has to be efforts made to recover everyone living or dead and I think we do a great job of that, even though we have not gotten everyone, we do try.
As far as swapping 5 for 1, that was totally beyond insane. Even if your not of the military mind set and have no military experience something swapping 5 enemy combatant leaders for 1 low ranking individual, who by all accounts deserted, something should click mentally to tell you this is not a good deal.
Bergdahl deserved to be brought home but not at he expense that was paid. 1 for 1 is acceptable but a 5 for 1? Never in a million years.
As far as swapping 5 for 1, that was totally beyond insane. Even if your not of the military mind set and have no military experience something swapping 5 enemy combatant leaders for 1 low ranking individual, who by all accounts deserted, something should click mentally to tell you this is not a good deal.
Bergdahl deserved to be brought home but not at he expense that was paid. 1 for 1 is acceptable but a 5 for 1? Never in a million years.
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CSM Michael J. Uhlig I've heard some many different facts and stories on the matter. It's hard to tell what he did and didn't do, but if he did indeed throw down his equipment and desert his unit and was enjoying him time with the enemy, then he should be tried as a war time deserter, along with being held accountable for those who made the sacrifice to regain his supposed freedom! That's my opinion on the matter!
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If he is found guilty in a Court martial, then, absolutely. What he is alleged to have done is reprehensible and he should be punished for it, if found guilty.
My opinion, from what I read and seen in news reports, is that he should be found guilty and I have faith in the Military Justice System that he will receive a fair trial. I just hope that the Administration stays out of it and allow the system to work the way it is intended to.
My opinion, from what I read and seen in news reports, is that he should be found guilty and I have faith in the Military Justice System that he will receive a fair trial. I just hope that the Administration stays out of it and allow the system to work the way it is intended to.
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Fact is they would not be going forward with Court Martial proceedings if there weren't enough evidence to show that Bergdahl abandoned his post and endanger countless others with his actions.
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This case The US Army vs Sergeant Bergdahl will be troubling for me to watch. So I will reserve judging this soldier until I learn more about the charges and his defense. What really bothers me is he already served five years in prison and was treated poorly by al Qaeda. So I am not sure he should serve more time in prison if found guilty. My old gut tells me he will work out a plea agreement and avoid prison but he given a dishonorable discharge ..And hope we never hear about him again .
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SGT (Join to see)
SGT Cunnally, with that reasoning... if someone rapes a girl and gets hit by a car immediately afterwards and become paralyzed - he already paid for his crimes? Truth be told he has not paid for his crimes. Bergdahl put himself in that situation, and his crime against the US Army and the USA has yet to be paid for.
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Sgt Tom Cunnally
SGT (Join to see) - I wonder if there is any chance of a plea agreement?? Bergdahl would plead guilty to a lesser charge to avoid prison time. Then get a Dishonorable Discharge with a heavy penalty. And I wonder if politics will be injected in this trial with the Obama Administration working behind the scene to prevent Bergdahl from doing prison time in Leavenworth Military Prison..
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SGT (Join to see)
Sgt Tom Cunnally - Personally I don't think there will be a plea agreement. The reasons why there would ever be a plea, what I understand, is to reduce the pressure on the system. (I could be wrong). In this case people want to see a trial I think. And people want to see results. This was such a major thing that happened, and it must be set clear precedence that just because you are unhappy during a deployment, or even lose faith in the cause... you cannot disobey orders. If they don't punish him, they show that our first general order is out the window.
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Sgt Tom Cunnally
SGT (Join to see) - You could be right and if I served with Bergdahl in Afghanistan and he left his post and I was part of a team looking for him that took casualties then I would want to see him hung or face a firing squad. But this case is hard to judge with so much of it in the public forum and that ridiculous Rose Garden Event with Bergdahl's parents and Obama praising Bergdahl as well as Susan Rice's comments. A retired Lt Col who was an Army Jag Officer said he thinks the White House is putting a lot of pressure on the Army to not sentence Bergdahl to prison. So we shall see what happens. Will the Army ignore the White House and sentence him to prison time if he is found guilty or let him off with a Dishonorable Discharge with time already served in the Taliban Prisons ??? I don't have a clue..
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CSM Michael J. Uhlig CSM, I am (resprectfully) scratching my head as to why you even asked this question. The facts are clear in this case, and I don't think you'll find a serving or former military person on the planet that will say he doesn't deserve to be punished.
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Yes he does he caused the death of some of his fellow soldiers due to his actions
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