Investigating General Recommends Against Jailtime for Bergdahl. What do you think?

General-speak, translated to NCO-Speak:

1. Bergdahl is "unrealistically idealistic" - He is a dumbass
2. Bergdahl is remorseful for the trouble his actions caused - he wishes he didn't get in trouble.
3. Bergdahl left his SAW at the patrol base so he could "blend in to his surroundings" - yup. White guy in ACUs blends in real well. Nothing out of place here. See #1.
4. Bergdahl is "very bright and very well read" - nerd alert.
5. Bergdahl is fascinated by samurai culture - nerd alert smoking gun.
6. Bergdahl should have a larger role in targeting the Taliban - actually, SGT Bergdahl might be onto something here. He sure knew where to find the Taliban...
7. Bergdahl considered bringing a fellow Soldier's M9 with him, but didn't want to get him in trouble - this shows premeditation and planning. SAWs are heavy, and there is real shortage of shurikens, sai, and katanas in Afghanistan. Even deserters think the M9 is worthless.
8. Bergdahl had "unconventional upbringing" - yup, his parents are pieces of work too.
9. Bergdahl had "outsized impressions of his capabilities" - he may be a dumbass nerd, but he does dumbassery BIG. I think I'll do a 19-mile run in Paktika Province...
10. Bergdahl saw problems that other Soldiers did not - Bergdahl is paranoid.
11. Bergdahl saw the CSM and BC saying/ doing mean things - it is somebody else's fault.
12. Bergdahl "absolutely believed the things he perceived were true" - Berdahl is right, everyone else is wrong. Trust me, I have amazing capabilities...
13. "NTC is lame" - See #12

Fifty nine days with this knucklehead. You deserve an award for doing this and keeping a professional demeanor, MG Dahl. My hat's off to you.

I also recommend no jailtime, I instead recommend firing squad.

This guy...

He broke the first general order. The number one thing we are taught. If he does not get a severe punishment, then we are sending the message that you do not have to obey a lawful order. imagine where this take us.

Desertion. It's exactly what he did. He needs AT LEAST get that amount of jail time.

1st General Order
"I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved."

"with plans to run 19 miles to the larger Forward Operating Base Sharana, cause a disruption and get the attention of a general" I'm going to call BULLSHIT (excuse my language) on this one. This a**clown left his post most more than once, so the time he leaves for GOOD, he is going to "run" 19mi to Sharana with NO body armor, NO radio, NO weapon, NO backup and he expects to make it? And get the attention of a General? To the investigating official, are you seriously that starstruck? Name the LAST troop who made it one mile in RC-anywhere with NOTHING. I'll wait. Anyone with a third of a brain knows American forces are watched 25/8/366 over there. Nothing happens without someone making a cellphone call informing someone on you. Turn your Duke on? Please those kids can RUN!! So what good was that? So how in hell would he have pulled that off? 19 miles in RC East is a LONG (did I mention LONG?) freakin way in a vehicle. He's going on foot? Maybe a p/u? And to have his CoC discount the men who died looking for him. For some reason in my "regular" duties over there, looking for a missing Soldier wasn't part of my "regular" job description. I don't think it was in theirs either. I KNEW where my Soldiers were at all times (Chamkani isn't big), and none of them had any desire to run anywhere except the LZ when we knew mail was coming in or someone was on their way home with their replacement on the bird.
"I do not believe that there is a jail sentence at the end of this process"...so this in NO WAY is prejudicial to the process now is there? I mean a MG openly saying that carries some weight if I'm not mistaken. Sir to the SIX Soldiers who died looking for him, do you believe there is a LIFE sentence for them at the end of this process? Do you think the families of those SIX written off Soldiers care that he's "well read" and likes Pokeman? You've effectively told them "f*ck you". There's nothing else to say on it. I'm offended as an American you said this, disappointed as a NCO you'd even let this lapse of judgment come out of your mouth, and as a man crushed thinking that six lives have been marginalized..."just doing their jobs eh Sir"?

SGT Jeremiah B. I don't believe it. I think this has Executive Pressure written all over it. Just my opinion!

I was in his battalion (1-501 PIR) on that deployment and knew a few guys that were in his platoon. The story I heard from them back in 2009 was that he was a weird bird who hung out with the local nationals more than fellow SMs and talked about hiking across the border to India to become a mercenary.

Take all of that with a grain of salt; I do. That doesn't change the fact that he deserted his post, half of Afghanistan (including me) busted their *** for weeks trying to find him, and several of ours died in the process. This "trying to report misconduct to superiors" shtick never saw the light of day until it came down to Bowe facing a stand in court.

I don't want to see one of ours put to death, and I don't think any officials are seriously considering that. But a few years in the cooler along with the public knowing the truth of what he did and how it hurt us sounds like justice to me.

SGT Jeremiah B. I wonder if he had ever heard of those inventions called telephones, computers, internet, email, faxes.... as ways of communicating. Not having read the reports and seen the evidence it's not easy to say. I know what I personally think is that he should receive some form of punishment, if not for these things then what about for having been caught during a California Pot Raid while he was on leave after he was "rescued".

And here comes the comments....

This article just makes my head hurt. "Lame" training, "unrealistic" ideas. It's the military! Sometimes you have to just take on the suck and deal with it. If people were to walk off base every time something happened that we didn't agree with, our bases would be empty. But I'm sure you will see this case pushed under the carpet and lift return to "normal" and in 5 years from now, no one will know who Bergdahl was. He'll die in 40, 50, 60 years from now in a Veterans home. And those not directly involved in what happen will look back and still ask "Why".

SGT Jeremiah B. this is a travesty of justice, he should be guilty for misbehaving before the enemy. Its got to be the media focusing on it and bringing it to the masses.

With all due respect to MG Dahl, I say, "poppycock!" Bergdahl "reasoned" (reasoned?!) that Soldiers should be able to trust one another. I guess that reasoning didn't exactly apply when he deserted his teammates and his post.