Bowe Bergdahl deserter not hero

[Boris13c]

Bowe Bergdahl arraigned at North Carolina Army base

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Wearing a dress blue uniform, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl faced a military judge Tuesday for the first time since the U.S. Army decided to proceed with a military trial that could result in a life sentence for his disappearance in Afghanistan in 2009.

Bergdahl, who was held by the Taliban for five years after he walked off a base, was arraigned during a short hearing on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, a relatively rare charge that carries the severe punishment. If convicted of desertion, he could get up to five years in prison.

Bergdahl deferred entering a plea and did not decide whether he wants to face a court-martial with a jury or one with just a judge. He said little beyond answering "yes" and "no" to questions about whether he understood his rights and the court proceedings.

He appeared demure, sitting mostly still in his chair then walking deliberately with his head down as he left the courtroom. He talked quietly with his military attorney before and after the hearing.

The next pretrial hearing was scheduled for Jan. 12 before Army Judge Col. Jeffery R. Nance, who will preside over future hearings in the case.

Bergdahl, 29, of Hailey, Idaho, walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province on June 30, 2009. He was released in late May 2014 as part of a prisoner swap, in exchange for five detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The move touched off a firestorm of criticism, with some in Congress accusing President Barack Obama of jeopardizing the safety of the country with the exchange.

A preliminary hearing officer initially recommended a special court-martial, which is a misdemeanor-level forum. But earlier this month, the Army announced Bergdahl would face the more serious general court-martial.

Bergdahl's disappearance and the possibility that he might face light punishment had angered many in the military, who say his fellow soldiers took considerable risks to search for him.

[mmmc_35]

Serial second season is dealing with this.

I don't expect them to cover the issue fairly, as I thought they portrayed the last season unfairly. However it was entertaining, I expect this season to be too.

[Boris13c]

this Bergdahl guy seems quite delusional (maybe they are going for an insanity defense?) ... referring to himself as being like Jason Bourne and how he was going to be a hero due to his solo mission into the heart of the enemy

right ... and that worked oh so well

[mmmc_35]

this Bergdahl guy seems quite delusional (maybe they are going for an insanity defense?) ... referring to himself as being like Jason Bourne and how he was going to be a hero due to his solo mission into the heart of the enemy

right ... and that worked oh so well

Yes. In the mental Health field they call it delusions of grandeur. He clearly thinks or thought of himself as smarter stronger better than he was.

He also talked about leadership failure. He mentioned from the 25 ID (the group he was with) through basic.

As a relatively normal, Alpha fucking destroyer(for real I am amazing), that I am. I can tell you anyone who questions leadership in basic (all male basic) are fucking morons. Basic is suppose to be chaos and challenging. I fucking loved it.

Combine those two tidbits with the coast guard rejecting him due to psych issues and you get the fact he is not on the normal side. The guys I knew that where with him didn't like him much.

However that said he knew right from wrong. That's the standard for the insanity defense. He knew his plan was wrong and mentioned it would get him in trouble.

[wab]

Considering my soon to be father in law is a retired Brigadier general in the Air Force, who worked about 35 floors below the surface of an unnamed Air Force base in the mountains, he's got some pretty strong feelings about this guy.

He also recognizes that there's more to this than what's being told. I don't know what that is though. I can't even get him to tell me how many sugars he wants in his coffee.

[Boris13c]

He also recognizes that there's more to this than what's being told. I don't know what that is though. I can't even get him to tell me how many sugars he wants in his coffee.

so you haven't offered to butter HIS biscuits? that's probably why he won't tell you anything

[mmmc_35]

He probably realizes this whole thing has been pushed and pulled by the political landscape and hates it.

[Bears_40]

The political landscape will probably set him free.

[Boris13c]

Bowe Bergdahl Trial Postponed Until February 2017

A judge has postponed U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's trial to February 2017 to give the defense time to properly review and prepare thousands of pages of classified documents.

Army Judge Col. Jeffrey R. Nance announced that the trial would be pushed back at a pre-trial hearing held today in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The move means Bergdahl’s fate will not be decided until after a new commander-in-chief is elected and inaugurated.

[Boris13c]

a lot of interesting reading here :

Bowe Bergdahl in His Own Words

in that interesting reading is Bergdahl himself admitting he left his post voluntarily

no, he didn't plan on being captured ... most folks don't ... and he gave an explanation of his reasons for doing so, among them a lack of confidence in his chain of command and that he could prevent IED placements on his one man commando mission

I am sure this will make for an interesting trial once it happens, with many twists and turns on the story line

but 1 thing that cannot be twisted - when asked under oath is he left his post voluntarily and without authorization, his truthful answer is going to be "yes" since he has already admitted to this ... so to me, it is pretty much a slam dunk case unless the prosecution screws up .. and he will go to jail for desertion in a war zone if nothing else and the punishment for that can be severe :

Article 85 - Desertion

(a) Any member of the armed forces who

(1) without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away there from permanently;

(2) quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or

(3) without being regularly separated from one of the armed forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another one of the armed forces without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the United States Note: This provision has been held not to state a separate offense by the United States Court of Military Appeals in United States v. Huff, 7 U.S.C.M.A. 247, 22 C.M.R. 37 (1956), is guilty of desertion.

(b) Any commissioned officer of the armed forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away therefrom permanently is guilty of desertion.

(c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct.

his defense team will argue he did not depart with the intent to remain away permanently, nor was he shirking hazardous duty ... and based on Bergdahl's comments, that would seem to be true ... he did intend to return to his unit ... and these facts will prevent the death sentence

but since his plan was delusional at best, and without authorization, and then resulted in many negative things to follow, I believe he is going to be jailed for a length of time and be dishonorably discharged

[Bears_40]

I hope this happens. People died because of him.

[Boris13c]

Bowe Bergdahl gets dishonorable discharge, avoids prison time

Fort Bragg, North Carolina (CNN)Bowe Bergdahl received a dishonorable discharge from the US Army but will avoid prison time for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after abandoning his outpost in Afghanistan in 2009, a military judge ruled Friday.

The judge also ruled that Bergdahl's rank be reduced from sergeant to private. Additionally, he will be required to pay a $1,000 fine from his salary for the next 10 months.

"Sgt. Bergdahl has looked forward to today for a long time," Eugene Fidell, Bergdahl's civilian attorney, said at a news conference after the sentence was announced.

"As everyone knows he was a captive of the Taliban for nearly five years, and three more years have elapsed while the legal process unfolded. He has lost nearly a decade of his life."

The sentence is effective immediately, except for the dishonorable discharge, which Bergdahl is appealing, according to Fidell.

[mmmc_35]

This is a mother fucking shame.

[mmmc_35]

Fuxk this asshole. Really wish I didn't open this. The 25th has to be losing their shit right now.

[wab]

The whole thing is a sham and an embarrassment of political justice.

[Boris13c]

I can't for the life of me understand why no jail time for this guy ... one article I read pointed to the harsh punishment he received as a captive as playing into the leniency ... well guess what? if he hadn't abandoned his post to be captured, he wouldn't have had harsh punishment as a prisoner ... so I don't see how in the world that can apply

everything about this entire case is just wrong ... and a lot of honorable men suffered as a result

[mmmc_35]

So a lot of people I know from deployment have been quite about this outcome. I have been on the social media too. It's so disappointing and disgusting I can't eloquently discuss it. Combine that with I figured this would happen, I am at a loss for words.

This piece of shit broke every Soldiers general orders. I fully believe he left to join the Taliban based off talks I have had with Soldiers in his company. He surely was the catalyst for the up tick in attacks causing death and injury Soldiers. Justice was so improperly served in my opinion, I can't phantom it.