Bowe Bergdahl, once missing U.S. soldier, charged with desertion

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Um the President is probably going to override the charges of desertion though. All he has to do is grant a Presidential Pardon and poof Bergdahl is a free man.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: macman

The UCMJ does not supersede the Bill of Rights by any means though.

Yes it does. In the military you don't have freedom of speech for one.

"Here is what I know, not from hearsay, but because I was there," writes the soldier who says he was serving with the US Special Operations Command when he was called on to search for Bergdahl .

"Bergdahl became a sympathiser, walked off his post to seek out the Taliban in order to join their ranks, to help and live with them. In exchange for his release, the United States released the following five known Taliban - Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mullah Norullah Noori, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Mohammed Nabi - who were immediately welcomed back into the Taliban network."

originally posted by: Kryties
Basically all I am seeing in this thread is a bunch of hard-asses moaning about one of their soldiers, who woke up on the battlefield and decided enough was enough and that he was fighting a war that was wrong, getting to come home and face a trial for desertion. Apparently he deserves to die in horrible ways, according to many posters on this thread, without a trial and because he "dared" to have an individual thought.

It's disgusting, hypocritical garbage that I am reading. Why, however, am I not surprised?

Yes by all means, lets relieve everyone from consequences of their actions and obligations to prior commitments....that's the way to make this a peaceful, wonderful utopia.....

I haven't heard any horrible ways to die on here yet...just that he deserves to with all those that were killed in the hunt for him after he deserted his post.

originally posted by: abe froman
a reply to: Kryties
Because you are putting words into other people's mouths to support your own narrative.

I'm sorry, did you miss the posts in this thread where people were calling for his blood without a trial? Did you miss the posts in this thread where some people fantasized about doing it themselves?

Putting words into others mouths? WTF? I am merely responding TO THEIR OWN WORDS.

Keep digging that hole though mate, you're already half-way to China.

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Wouldn't Bergdahl have to submit a petition for a Presidential Pardon?

a reply to: Excallibacca

Good...

If found guilty I am curious if they are going to go for the death penalty considering he ditched during a time of war. I would also like to see him held accountable for the deaths of the soldiers who went looking for him.

UCMJ 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 therefrom 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 on 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; 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.

a reply to: Kryties

the U.S. has intel that three of the five swapped for him are trying to get back into the terror game.
that would not have happened if he would have man up and went to his commanding officer and said he refused to fight.

most likly all that would have happened to him would have been jail time and Dishonorable or BCD discharge. and he most likly would have been out of or close to getting out now.

now he faces the possibly of death and the hatred of many of his fellow citizen for being a terrorist sympathizer.
not only that if he really has the change of heart about killing people, how does he live with himself for the deaths of the people that went looking for him.

originally posted by: Excallibacca
a reply to: starwarsisreal

Wouldn't Bergdahl have to submit a petition for a Presidential Pardon?

There is a petition process however the President can pretty much do whatever he wants in this area.


a reply to: hounddoghowlie
I am curious as to why we don't just inject these people with tracking devices and then send them home and go from there.

a reply to: Kryties

So many sads here.

He left a note. He went to the enemy. When my brothers went out to find him, they were attacked and several died.

He is a POS, plain and simple.

What is that quote from Crimson Tide?? "We are here to protect democracy not practice it".

You having never been in the Military. You don't understand. Just as you don't understand the US and the citizens within it.

originally posted by: Kryties
Basically all I am seeing in this thread is a bunch of hard-asses moaning about one of their soldiers, who woke up on the battlefield and decided enough was enough and that he was fighting a war that was wrong, getting to come home and face a trial for desertion. Apparently he deserves to die in horrible ways, according to many posters on this thread, without a trial and because he "dared" to have an individual thought.

It's disgusting, hypocritical garbage that I am reading. Why, however, am I not surprised?

Look. I gave this guy the benefit of the doubt before he was officially charged. I wanted the investigation to go through and withheld judgment on him. I'm sure there are members in this very thread who may remember me being on the other side of this debate last time his name came up, but here come the charges and the military has determined that desertion is the answer.

Desertion is a capital offense in our country. It ALWAYS has been. And it is especially serious in an all volunteer military. If this is the decision the military is going with, then I am behind it. At this point I want the Obama admin to answer for trading for a traitor to our country.

For what it's worth? Bergdahl did or didn't desert.

UCMJ will figure that out.

But Bergdahl didn't release 5 taliban folks.

Obama did.

Now are we to "assume" that Obama didn't have a clue when he did the swap?

If so, I have some land in Atlantis I'd love to sell you. . . . .

a reply to: macman

None of what you said excuses not allowing him a fair trial.

I know you are eager to get your hands red and dirty with him but fortunately there is this thing called the US Constitution which you have to abide by - unless, of course, you are a hypocrite.

Statement being made right now.

a reply to: Kryties
I don't think anyone demanded no trial. I think you just misinterpreted people saying it wasn't really necessary since we have a confession.

I appreciate your humanity, however this SOB deserves to die. The 6 guys that did die while out trying to save his sorry ass didn't deserve to die.

All those orphaned children didn't deserve their father's being killed as a direct result of Brgdahls's childish and immature actions.

All those widows didn't deserve welcoming their husbands back in pine boxes while this POS was flown home in luxury and praised by the Obama administration for "serving with distinction".

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

Desertion is a capital offense in our country. It ALWAYS has been.

Quite apart from everything said in this thread I find this notion disturbing to say the least and at best a remnant of the past that hasn't fully caught up with modern times.

You won't fight for us? THEN WE'LL KILL YOU!!!! Kind of sounds a bit tyrannic don't you think?

originally posted by: Ironhawke
I for one shall abide my oft-repeated maxim "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law". Wonder how many "Christians" are wishing ill on this young man? Just curious, since everyone here seems to have already brought the rope...

so Christians needed to be brought up?

I'm not fond of the death penalty

Prediction right now. . .

Obama heard about Bergdahl's desertion on the news. Never heard about it before.

a reply to: Sremmos80

No, no they don't. While on active duty, military members are not afforded the same rights. The military member, while serving, is governed by the UCMJ.

If you can't grasp that at this point, then there is no further need to try.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Fair enough, I knew there was a petition process but was having a hard time finding out if it was a necessary step. Then I read that Ford pardoned Nixon before charges were even filed and knew there couldn't have been a petition.