Sgt Bowe Bergahl release from Taliban. Victory!

John Kerry had said that they would negotiate for the release of Amir Hekmati who has been held in Iran for roughly 1000 days. So a deserter gets swapped for the 5 most dangerous Gitmo Jihadists and Hekmati gets nothing. POTUS acted illegally by not getting Congressional approval, am I the only one who sees the flaw in his prisoner swap?

Welcome home soldier, welcome home. That is all that will be said because we don't know the facts behind his capture. We do know he's been under capture for 4 yrs 10 months he deserves to speak on his own what and how it happen. The media wasn't there nor were his parents to fellow soldiers during capture just speculation so let him speak and be treated as any soldier should and would be.

Always glad to see anyone come home, I don't know anything about allegations of deserting or whatever, but let the Army/DOD or whoever take care of that, innocent until proven otherwise. War really sucks so I don't give a damn even if it its true....welcome home, hope everyone can start healing from yet another 10,000 day war.....

We gave up taliban in guantanamo bay in exchange. I am glad we have him back, but just hope the ones we gave up don't come back to bite us in the butt!

I arrived in Afghanistan a few months after he allegedly walked off the FOB. I was stationed at the same FOB that some allege he walked off of. My question is not what will happen to him now, but why did we keep promoting him if it is true that he walked off the FOB? Should we promote just anyone because this sets a bad example. I cannot even get a promotion board or orders for my Soldiers who are doing their job and were selected to be promoted. What does this do for morale of the military as a whole?

Welcome home. I am happy for the family, but I recommend he just leaves the Army because if he ever is called to deploy again there will be mistrust of if he will watch out for his buddies. And that will destroy the unit.

I know we have evolved into a, kinder, gentler, Army but the last time I checked, the first general order was still, "I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved." Must have been an amendment slipped in there after I retired in 2002. Maybe should read. "I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved, unless I sympathize with the enemy or become confused about who the enemy is."

Well the true point is that he left his post and put others in harms way to find him, the military will pass there judgement on him. If we can welcome him home with open arms them maybe would should do the same for our friend from the NSA who spoke out. In all much of the Capital is being ran by Jackasses at this point so maybe they should just all walk away also and let this country get back into shape.

I don't know if he is guilty or not. Glad he is home but if he is guilty he should have to face the judgement as any soldier who has deserted should have to. There has been people killed looking for him and if it is true of his crimes then you have to answer for them like a man

I don't know how credible this is but is definitely interesting.

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/143437-american-soldier-served-bowe-bergdahl-casts-doubt-official-story-fears-reprisal-obama-administration/

All.....this is a truly touchy subject that is obviously having mixed reactions throughout the US Military.

1st....I would ask, we any of truly informed behind all the circumstance behind this situation? Do we know exactly what happened? Do we know which news stories are accurate and which are truly BS? Based on my limited experience compared to our Senior Leaders (POTUS, CJCS, JCS), I would say no, we aren't.

Again, yes....it is great to have an American Brother home...but after that, what is the rest of the story? Did he truly leave his unit and place himself in that situation? I don't know. If the answer is no, then the obvious answer is still no. But, if the answer is yes....should he not be tried for AWOL? Desertion? And if the answer is yes, will the circumstance of being a POW for 5 years overshadow that? Again, I don't know.

What about all the lives lost trying to rescue him? I don't know the numbers, but if it is even 1 life lost, it is worth his? Again, I cannot answer that.

And then, we exchanged 5 Taliban prisoners for him? Fair trade? Again, for an American Brother, I would say sure...POW for POW trade. But again, what the importance of the Taliban POWs to their leadership compared to the 1 American Soldier and the overall importance to ours. Or was this a negotiation with terrorists? The Taliban themselves are not labeled as terrorists, but I would say no, it wasn't....but then again, are there any ties to Al Qaida and the Taliban....probably, but I can't confirm.


It is great to have an American Brother home...but I also think this situation presents an outstanding opportunity for all of us to learn from it? What the consequences of our actions can have against our service. Going back to the old saying "do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one?" In this case, did the "needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many?"

I welcome any thoughts or opinions, as that is the freedom all of us fight for.