Posted on Nov 3, 2017
The Bergdahl Sentencing and the Precedent it Sets
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The US Army Values are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.
Former Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl apparently forgot these when, on June 30, 2009, he deserted his unit in Afghanistan, where he wanted to, in his words, “make the world a better place.” Former SGT Bergdahl also forgot that he was wearing the uniform of the United States Army, and that armies fight wars. He signed up. No one forced him into service, and no one forced him to continue service if at any point he decided he had had enough.
In the Army there are legitimate avenues of redress of grievances, and now more than ever before. Your chain of command, the Chaplain, a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer, or even the highest commander above where you think your problem lies. SGT Bergdahl had whipped himself into an almost psychotic state of isolation, from his unit, from his battle-buddies and even from himself. In the end, the enemy seemed more desirable than the mess he had made in his foxhole.
The sentencing of SGT (now PV-1) Bergdahl is now complete. Instead of a 14 year sentence, sought by the prosecution, a sentence of time served, a reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay and a dishonorable discharge will have to do.
Although Bergdahl had plead guilty to desertion and misconduct before the enemy, the circumstances under which SGT Bergdahl was released, the trade of five Taliban leaders notwithstanding, has its own implications of treason. Some have said that Bergdahl has suffered enough, including his defense team. Some say he is not fit to live, let alone wear the uniform. Several witnesses have testified about their war injuries and losses they claim happened because of Bergdahl’s desertion. There were rumors but no evidence that SGT Bergdahl had given the enemy critical information about the unit, its operations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This would allow the enemy to anticipate the unit’s movements and tendencies, potentially deadly information. Some say, while searching for SGT Bergdahl, they were hit and men died. One man, a former Navy SEAL, claimed tearfully that his service dog was killed on one such mission, and others suffered crippling and career ending injuries. All of this was supposedly taken into consideration before the sentence was handed down by the military judge, Col. Jeffery Nance.
In my opinion, all this testimony is over-engineering. It’s all good, but shouldn’t be necessary to complete the project. Bergdahl deserted in a time of war. How do you maintain good order and discipline if you allow folks to just walk away? There is no claim of insanity. There is no plea bargain. There is no excuse. The punishment for desertion can be death.The reason for this goes back to the beginning of human conflict. If you run in the face of the enemy, you have abdicated your responsibility as a member of the group to help keep the group safe.
In our own Revolutionary War and subsequent conflicts, such as the Civil War, it wasn’t so much power and punch that won the day as it was which side would run first. Name a war or conflict, and what wins the day more times than not is the will to win or survive. Fight or flight. This is why the American Army is so effective; we are trained that in war the mission comes first. We are trained to never leave a soldier behind. We are trained to be good teammates. We are trained to care for each other, help each other and protect each other. And in the foxhole, when the bullets are flying, it’s about you and your battle-buddy, fighting for your lives.The bigger picture is that you are defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, part of the oath of enlistment that Bergdahl breached. But if you allow soldiers to run and then suffer inadequate consequences, what are you telling everyone else who swore that same oath? What then does it mean? In our politically correct, social media, “If it feels good, do it” society, oaths and promises seem blasé and passé. In fact, they are our lifeblood. If we let one instance of obvious and blatant desertion slip through the cracks, what then do we do with the next one, or the next? Kneeling for the national anthem and the absence of even one American flag on the opening night of a national political convention are not simply warning signs, they are signs of the apocalypse that feed the idea that Bergdahl did nothing wrong. That he is innocent of desertion because he was oppressed and that somehow his actions were free speech. It’s not about any of that. It’s about loyalty. The number one most important Army value, and value in life. The acronym constructed out of the Army Values is LDRSHIP (Leadership). The Army aspires to train every soldier to be a leader. In the American Army, even E-Private Zero, Snuffy Smith is expected to carry out the mission if all the leaders above him are incapacitated, in the spirit of Audie Murphy. Murphy, the highly decorated farm boy turned hero from WWII who was battlefield promoted from sergeant to second lieutenant and saved many lives with his heroism, over, and over again, all at 5’4” and 112 pounds, carried on with the mission, time and again. We owe it to the memory of all those who gave their lives in defense of this great nation. We owe it to those who were injured and may have died while searching for Bowe Bergdahl, and we owe it to the future of this nation that Bowe Bergdahl’s punishment fit the crime. But the punishment in this case has not fit the crime in any way, shape or form. The echo from this proceeding will carry far and wide, that the perceived suffering of one man, a deserter, held more weight than the entire history of the military of the greatest nation on earth.
Former Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl apparently forgot these when, on June 30, 2009, he deserted his unit in Afghanistan, where he wanted to, in his words, “make the world a better place.” Former SGT Bergdahl also forgot that he was wearing the uniform of the United States Army, and that armies fight wars. He signed up. No one forced him into service, and no one forced him to continue service if at any point he decided he had had enough.
In the Army there are legitimate avenues of redress of grievances, and now more than ever before. Your chain of command, the Chaplain, a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer, or even the highest commander above where you think your problem lies. SGT Bergdahl had whipped himself into an almost psychotic state of isolation, from his unit, from his battle-buddies and even from himself. In the end, the enemy seemed more desirable than the mess he had made in his foxhole.
The sentencing of SGT (now PV-1) Bergdahl is now complete. Instead of a 14 year sentence, sought by the prosecution, a sentence of time served, a reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay and a dishonorable discharge will have to do.
Although Bergdahl had plead guilty to desertion and misconduct before the enemy, the circumstances under which SGT Bergdahl was released, the trade of five Taliban leaders notwithstanding, has its own implications of treason. Some have said that Bergdahl has suffered enough, including his defense team. Some say he is not fit to live, let alone wear the uniform. Several witnesses have testified about their war injuries and losses they claim happened because of Bergdahl’s desertion. There were rumors but no evidence that SGT Bergdahl had given the enemy critical information about the unit, its operations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This would allow the enemy to anticipate the unit’s movements and tendencies, potentially deadly information. Some say, while searching for SGT Bergdahl, they were hit and men died. One man, a former Navy SEAL, claimed tearfully that his service dog was killed on one such mission, and others suffered crippling and career ending injuries. All of this was supposedly taken into consideration before the sentence was handed down by the military judge, Col. Jeffery Nance.
In my opinion, all this testimony is over-engineering. It’s all good, but shouldn’t be necessary to complete the project. Bergdahl deserted in a time of war. How do you maintain good order and discipline if you allow folks to just walk away? There is no claim of insanity. There is no plea bargain. There is no excuse. The punishment for desertion can be death.The reason for this goes back to the beginning of human conflict. If you run in the face of the enemy, you have abdicated your responsibility as a member of the group to help keep the group safe.
In our own Revolutionary War and subsequent conflicts, such as the Civil War, it wasn’t so much power and punch that won the day as it was which side would run first. Name a war or conflict, and what wins the day more times than not is the will to win or survive. Fight or flight. This is why the American Army is so effective; we are trained that in war the mission comes first. We are trained to never leave a soldier behind. We are trained to be good teammates. We are trained to care for each other, help each other and protect each other. And in the foxhole, when the bullets are flying, it’s about you and your battle-buddy, fighting for your lives.The bigger picture is that you are defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, part of the oath of enlistment that Bergdahl breached. But if you allow soldiers to run and then suffer inadequate consequences, what are you telling everyone else who swore that same oath? What then does it mean? In our politically correct, social media, “If it feels good, do it” society, oaths and promises seem blasé and passé. In fact, they are our lifeblood. If we let one instance of obvious and blatant desertion slip through the cracks, what then do we do with the next one, or the next? Kneeling for the national anthem and the absence of even one American flag on the opening night of a national political convention are not simply warning signs, they are signs of the apocalypse that feed the idea that Bergdahl did nothing wrong. That he is innocent of desertion because he was oppressed and that somehow his actions were free speech. It’s not about any of that. It’s about loyalty. The number one most important Army value, and value in life. The acronym constructed out of the Army Values is LDRSHIP (Leadership). The Army aspires to train every soldier to be a leader. In the American Army, even E-Private Zero, Snuffy Smith is expected to carry out the mission if all the leaders above him are incapacitated, in the spirit of Audie Murphy. Murphy, the highly decorated farm boy turned hero from WWII who was battlefield promoted from sergeant to second lieutenant and saved many lives with his heroism, over, and over again, all at 5’4” and 112 pounds, carried on with the mission, time and again. We owe it to the memory of all those who gave their lives in defense of this great nation. We owe it to those who were injured and may have died while searching for Bowe Bergdahl, and we owe it to the future of this nation that Bowe Bergdahl’s punishment fit the crime. But the punishment in this case has not fit the crime in any way, shape or form. The echo from this proceeding will carry far and wide, that the perceived suffering of one man, a deserter, held more weight than the entire history of the military of the greatest nation on earth.
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 239
We do not know the evidence brought out at trial. Yes, Bergdahl brought most or all of his troubles on himself. There was claim that he was trying to reach a higher headquarters command post when he left. While you may find it bs, there is no way to know how much credence the judge may have given the claim. The other charge, misbehavior before the enemy, could be interpreted as any number of things, not all of them about running away. Depending upon what the misbehavior was perceived to be could have had an effect. Lastly, there was no evidence that his capture by the Taliban was anything other than unfortuitous. If there was no proof or admission that he gave crucial information to the enemy, there would only be the 5 years he spent in Taliban hands, with some evidence that it was a rather unpleasant experience. I realize that for many of us that does not balance for those lost or injured trying to find him, etc. Apparently, it may have had some effect on the military judge. While even I would admit that the sentence was on the extreme end of the scale, it was within the reasonable realm of possibility, even if you severely disagree with it.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
Respectfully, I think what's reasonable is that the enemy extracted from Bergdahl whatever they wanted to know from him, and that that information lead to the injury, death or at least redirection of assets and resources during a life or death military operation. Of all the Army values, LOYALTY is the most important. Misbehavior before the enemy could have been the more serious charge, overshadowed by the fact that the Obama administration went to great lengths and pains to say Bergdahl had served honorably, even though they knew quite well he had not. The power and influence of a sitting President weighs heavily on any possible punishment. The Commander in Chief traded Bergdahl for five Taliban leaders. How could Bergdahl therefore ever receive a fair adjudication? The judge's BOSS said the guy is good, and traded really important bad guys for him, for SOME reason. The guy wasn't lost in the woods. He wasn't captured by the enemy during a fire fight. He didn't eject from a plane of enemy territory, he CHOSE to leave his post. He willfully IGNORED his duty of loyalty. If it were YOUR Army, Sir, how would YOU hope to maintain good order and discipline going forward with your troops, especially those with whom Bergdahl served? Look THEM in the eye and explain the verdict. Either that or re-write your values, ethics and morals.
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Lt Col Jim Bemis
MAJ Montgomery Granger (1) I did just explain how the verdict could come out the way it did. (2) If you read my comment more closely, you would also realize I did not indicate that I approved the sentence. (3) If you have first hand information about the evidence adduced at trial (as opposed to your personal views alone), please feel free to share that information. It would help all of us better understand what happened, and why.
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SFC Joseph McCausland
Our brave warriors are dead or injured looking for this "scumbag" and he is out walking free. May the universe gives back to him the hardships ten fold that his cowardly actions brought upon others.
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Well said! The last 3 of these traitors have gotten off easy! One allowed to change gender and basically pardoned, one ran to Russia and was proclaimed a freakin hero, now Bergdall was called a honorable hero by Obama who traded FIVE terrorist for him! Disgusting!
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One of the core values I was taught as a child, no shit, was that traitors are court-martialed and then shot by a firing squad. My dad was in the 6th Division WWII and in combat 270 days against the Japs (that's what he called them, he fought them, I didn't, so I use his name for them) and again in Korea. My uncles had all but two been in WWII in some capacity. Some of my first memories were of the news of wars on TV. I knew what a hand grenade was before I knew what a firecracker was because of the tv. Those of my age will know what I'm talking about, war was everywhere (in the news, on tv, at the movies) and most men at the time had been in one. The ones who didn't go were thought less of and whispered about behind their back,
All the men had been to war and all the little boys expected to grow up to be soldiers, where I grew up, anyway.
Guess that don't happen now. I thought traitors got stood up against a wall and shot. Guess I was wrong.
Fuck it. Why would anyone keep their oath now? There are plainly no consequences if not.
All the men had been to war and all the little boys expected to grow up to be soldiers, where I grew up, anyway.
Guess that don't happen now. I thought traitors got stood up against a wall and shot. Guess I was wrong.
Fuck it. Why would anyone keep their oath now? There are plainly no consequences if not.
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Politicians need to leave military decisions to the military. This is a terrible message to send to all those that serve with honor.
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Bergdahl was a traitor first, then he was traded for 5 Taliban generals to cover up the Obama.Hillary Clinton Stinger Missile sales to Libya. William Weatherell < [login to see] >
2:32 PM (0 minutes ago)
Thought you might be interested in this:
Transcript:
▶Anonymous 11/12/18 (Mon) 06:10:2822321c No.3865762
BERGDAHL WAS RELEASED IN EXCHANGE FOR 5 TALIBAN GENERALS IN ORDER TO COVER UP THE OBAMA/HILLARY STINGER MISSILE SALES TO LIBYA.
BENGHAZI AND THE MATCHING SERIAL NUMBERS
So here's the REAL story: Ambassador Stevens was sent to Benghazi to secretly retrieve US made Stinger Missiles that the State Dept had supplied to Ansar al Sharia in Libya WITHOUT Congressional oversight or permission.
Sec State Hillary Clinton had brokered the Libya deal through Ambassador Stevens and a Private Arms Dealer named Marc Turi, but some of the shoulder fired Stinger Missiles ended up in Afghanistan where they were used against our own military. On July 25th, 2012, a US Chinook helicopter was downed by one of them. Not destroyed only because the idiot Taliban didn't arm the missile. The helicopter didn't explode, but it had to land and an ordnance team recovered the missile’s serial number which led back to a cache of Stinger Missiles kept in
Qatar by the CIA.
Obama and Hillary were in full panic mode, so Ambassador Stevens was sent to Benghazi to retrieve the rest of the Stinger Missiles. This was a "do-or-die" mission, which explains the Stand Down Orders given to multiple rescue teams during the siege of the US Embassy.
It was the State Dept, NOT the CIA, that supplied the Stinger Missiles to our sworn enemies because Gen. Petraeus at CIA would not approve supplying the deadly missiles due to their potential use against commercial aircraft. So then, Obama threw Gen. Petraeus under the bus when he refused to testify in support of Obama’s phony claim of a “spontaneous uprising caused by a YouTube video that insulted Muslims.”
Obama and Hillary committed TREASON!
THIS is what the investigation is all about, WHY she had a Private Server, (in order to delete the digital evidence), and WHY Obama, two weeks after the attack, told the UN that the attack was the result of the YouTube video, even though everyone KNEW it was not.
Furthermore, the Taliban knew that the administration had aided and abetted the enemy WITHOUT Congressional oversight or permission, so they began pressuring (blackmailing) the Obama Administration to release five Taliban generals being held at Guantanamo.
Bowe Bergdahl was just a useful pawn used to cover the release of the Taliban generals. Everyone knew Bergdahl was a traitor but Obama used Bergdahl’s exchange for the five Taliban generals to cover that Obama was being coerced by the Taliban about the unauthorized Stinger Missile deal.
So we have a traitor as POTUS that is not only corrupt, but compromised, as well and a Sec of State that is a serial liar, who perjured herself multiple times at the Congressional Hearings on Benghazi. Perhaps this is why no military aircraft were called upon for help in Benghazi: because the administration knew that our enemies had Stinger Missiles that, if used to down those planes, would likely be traced back to the CIA cache in Qatar and then to the State Dept’s illegitimate arms deal in Libya.
Forward this again and again and again until everyone reads the true story of Benghazi. More than half of US citizens DO NOT KNOW THIS!
2:32 PM (0 minutes ago)
Thought you might be interested in this:
Transcript:
▶Anonymous 11/12/18 (Mon) 06:10:2822321c No.3865762
BERGDAHL WAS RELEASED IN EXCHANGE FOR 5 TALIBAN GENERALS IN ORDER TO COVER UP THE OBAMA/HILLARY STINGER MISSILE SALES TO LIBYA.
BENGHAZI AND THE MATCHING SERIAL NUMBERS
So here's the REAL story: Ambassador Stevens was sent to Benghazi to secretly retrieve US made Stinger Missiles that the State Dept had supplied to Ansar al Sharia in Libya WITHOUT Congressional oversight or permission.
Sec State Hillary Clinton had brokered the Libya deal through Ambassador Stevens and a Private Arms Dealer named Marc Turi, but some of the shoulder fired Stinger Missiles ended up in Afghanistan where they were used against our own military. On July 25th, 2012, a US Chinook helicopter was downed by one of them. Not destroyed only because the idiot Taliban didn't arm the missile. The helicopter didn't explode, but it had to land and an ordnance team recovered the missile’s serial number which led back to a cache of Stinger Missiles kept in
Qatar by the CIA.
Obama and Hillary were in full panic mode, so Ambassador Stevens was sent to Benghazi to retrieve the rest of the Stinger Missiles. This was a "do-or-die" mission, which explains the Stand Down Orders given to multiple rescue teams during the siege of the US Embassy.
It was the State Dept, NOT the CIA, that supplied the Stinger Missiles to our sworn enemies because Gen. Petraeus at CIA would not approve supplying the deadly missiles due to their potential use against commercial aircraft. So then, Obama threw Gen. Petraeus under the bus when he refused to testify in support of Obama’s phony claim of a “spontaneous uprising caused by a YouTube video that insulted Muslims.”
Obama and Hillary committed TREASON!
THIS is what the investigation is all about, WHY she had a Private Server, (in order to delete the digital evidence), and WHY Obama, two weeks after the attack, told the UN that the attack was the result of the YouTube video, even though everyone KNEW it was not.
Furthermore, the Taliban knew that the administration had aided and abetted the enemy WITHOUT Congressional oversight or permission, so they began pressuring (blackmailing) the Obama Administration to release five Taliban generals being held at Guantanamo.
Bowe Bergdahl was just a useful pawn used to cover the release of the Taliban generals. Everyone knew Bergdahl was a traitor but Obama used Bergdahl’s exchange for the five Taliban generals to cover that Obama was being coerced by the Taliban about the unauthorized Stinger Missile deal.
So we have a traitor as POTUS that is not only corrupt, but compromised, as well and a Sec of State that is a serial liar, who perjured herself multiple times at the Congressional Hearings on Benghazi. Perhaps this is why no military aircraft were called upon for help in Benghazi: because the administration knew that our enemies had Stinger Missiles that, if used to down those planes, would likely be traced back to the CIA cache in Qatar and then to the State Dept’s illegitimate arms deal in Libya.
Forward this again and again and again until everyone reads the true story of Benghazi. More than half of US citizens DO NOT KNOW THIS!
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As a Soldier deployed in Afghanistan I can personally tell you that my unit and other units within our chain of command were effected by his actions. While my unit did not directly have anything to do with looking for him. We did have to adjust our protocols and accountability for all the Servicemembers within our command since we were in joint operations with other branches :( Never in my entire career have I ever been so angry at 1 Soldier's actions
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
Of course you had to adjust your posture. If even one soldier changed his/her mission because of Bergdahl's nonsense that would have been one too many.
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I see and understand there is a lot of hoopla surrounding Mr. Bergdahl until this day. I understand people are saying he's a deserter, traitor etc etc. But people are missing the big picture of everyone else involvement from upper chain on down to team leader. I will say a lot of careers were saved or spared from the top all the way down. Seeing news and reading articles, the circumstances just don't add up. During my tours in Iraq, I've been on many small COP's where it was one way in/ one way out with 360 degree security watching perimeter. There are different accounts to what happened that day from ambush to kidnapping to walking off base. The true account by reading is, that he walked off base after duty. The true questions are how did this Soldier manage to walk off base without anyone seeing him in broad daylight? In the summer time, I know the sun was out at 6 in the morning. What were the Soldiers at the gates, towers and NCOIC/OIC doing when he was walking away? Due to insider attacks by Afghan troops, I don't foresee Afghan watching gates without American presence. Once again, you have all this 360 degree security, but nobody saw nothing, odd right....... Even if he was to cut a hole in the hesco barriers, someone in one of the towers should have seen him and called it up. From reading different articles of accounts, some said when they checked his room, he was missing compass, others say bottle of water. Never did anyone mention anything about if he took his weapon or left it behind....... Now you have a Soldier and weapon missing.......... It was quite disturbing to see 5 or 6 of his buddies on CNN getting their 5 minutes of fame saying that people got killed looking for him.......... I wouldn't say that. Unfortunately that's the nature of war.... But I don't think the units were really looking him. You figure if the military could find Saddam Hussein 8 months after the war started in a small hole, why would it take 5 years to find Bergdahl....
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SSG (Join to see)
SFC Richard Williamson ~1607052:SFC Richard Williamson] Good afternoon SFC Williamson, how are you doing today? I understand how you and others feel....... I also understand that he done something totally wrong and made a costly error, but at the end of the day, he's still a human being like you and I...... I totally respect your opinion 100%......
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While in captivity I understand his pay and allowances were suspended. If he received a DD and forfeited that pay/allowances, I'm good with his punishment. However, if he was paid that money for the now determined "bad time", then I'm not good with it. He deserves no pay nor allowances while he was AWOL.
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The factory is being punished sends the message to the troops that the government cares more about politics than soldiers.
If you think about his plan for half a second you will realize he was obviously not right in the head when he walked off post.
If you think about his plan for half a second you will realize he was obviously not right in the head when he walked off post.
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Clearly the farce was played out on the political stage. The real reason it happened is that the presiding officer would like to see stars. And the way to see them on his shoulders, he thinks, is to stick his thumb in President Trumps eye. He did this by gutting the military’s tradition of “mission before self”; Time will decide if that officers goal, attaining flag rank will be realized. However he has struck a heavy blow to our military.
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