NY Times 6/5/2014: Bergdahl Walked Away Before (Classified Report)

The NY Times is reporting that several soldiers in Bergdahl’s unit told investigators that he previously talked about a desire to leave his combat outpost unaccompanied and may have taken shorter unauthorized walks outside concertina wire and returned unharmed on one or more occasions before 6/30/2009.

The AR-15-6 investigative report completed two months after Bergdale disappeared concludes he most likely walked away of his own free will in darkness of night and criticized lax security practices and poor discipline in his unit. But it stopped short of concluding intent to permanently desert.

One official familiar with the AR-15-6 probe told the Military Times "“We have no indication that he intended to leave permanently . . . ." when he walked away on 6/30/2009.

The U.S. Army reported he was unarmed and outside the base perimeter with three Afghan soldiers when the four men were seized by insurgents probably linked to the Haqqani network.

While some members of his unit report overhearing translator reports of radio messages about an American soldier behaving strangely, writhing around on his stomach in the weeds, and asking the locals if any of them spoke English, none of which clearly identify Bergdahl, there is little doubt he was captured within hours of his departure, transported over the border to Pakistan, moved frequently, held under guard, attempted to escape on at least two occasions, evaded capture on both occasions for several days, recaptured, and was finally released in the Khost Valley just inside Afghanistan from the Pakistan border on 5/31/2014.

In the end, if we take all of the evidence now available to us through a broad number of media outlets, Bergdahl did what most of us would consider incredibly stupid. He walked off a FOB/COP with three Afghan soldiers, he was picked up by the Haqqanis who described him as diwana (intoxicated), and may have been en route to indulge in further intoxicants.

The Haqqanis quickly moved him from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

From the point Bergdahl was captured on 7/1/2009 until he was released on 5/31/2014, he appears to have tried as possible to escape, but had no opportunity to return to US control.

Does taking an unauthorized walk outside the wire WITH three Afghan soldiers, getting drunk, and getting captured together with three Afghan soldiers constitute desertion?

I may be naive, but Bergdahl was a uniformed US soldier, who may have been AWOL for a few hours, but he was very quickly captured, and thereby became a formal prisoner of war (POW).

Perhaps not the most honorable, gallant, or bravest prisoner of war, but a prisoner of war nonetheless. He survived five years of imprisonment. He made repeated attempts to escape and evade his captors. He may carry valuable intelligence. Perhaps his experience may even help future POWs survive in captivity.

I don't know what to believe about Bergdahl. But, condemning him for desertion given what we know now may be a stretch.

Warmest Regards, Sandy

Interesting account of intelligence sources re Bergdahl's travels

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/negotiating-with-terrorists-inside-the-capture-and-release-of-sgt-bowe-bergdahl/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/the-real-reason-the-u-s-didn-t-rescue-bowe-bergdahl.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/world/asia/bowe-bergdahl-walked-away-before-military-report-says.html