Article

2015-03-26 Home Front: WoT

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

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Posted by Fred 2015-03-26 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 Send his ass back to one of the stans

Posted by chris 2015-03-26 00:05|| 2015-03-26 00:05|| Front Page Top

#2 Boy Howdy the Army is off the leash.

So how are Psaki, Harf, ValJar and the other sock puppets going to spin this after we swapped five certified bad guys (who immediately went on a wanted poster with a big reward) for this traitor?

Seems this flies in the face of the Rice narrative and the whatshisname's presser that announced the swap.

It is almost nutty to see this happen...the administration must sincerely believe the average American has the attention span of a cream filled donut.

Posted by Mystic 2015-03-26 03:12|| 2015-03-26 03:12|| Front Page Top

#3 Here is a section of Article 85, UCMJ: (my emphasis added)

(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.

It would be nice if the Article 32 Investigating Officer has enough testicular fortitude to find in favor of refiling the charges to reflect desertion in time of war - given that it occurred during armed hostilities as part of wartime Operation Enduring Freedom.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2015-03-26 04:04|| 2015-03-26 04:04|| Front Page Top

#4 I'm not as curious about the desertion as I am the details of the negotiated release, to include the players and decision makers.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-03-26 05:21|| 2015-03-26 05:21|| Front Page Top

#5 I imagine the Army must have been receiving calls from the WH requesting a lower charge but somehow they resisted corruption.

Good for them.

This is similar to the DOJ people investigating the shooting of Brown in MO. Somehow, some good people resisted the corruption.

Posted by lord garth 2015-03-26 06:03|| 2015-03-26 06:03|| Front Page Top

#6 misbehaving before the enemy

I can think of a lot of commanders and their JAG advisers who could be charged with that one.

10 U.S. Code S 899 - Art. 99. Misbehavior before the enemy
Any member of the armed forces who before or in the presence of the enemy—
(1) runs away;
...
8) willfully fails to do his utmost to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy any enemy troops, combatants, vessels, aircraft, or any other thing, which it is his duty so to encounter, engage, capture, or destroy; or
(9) does not afford all practicable relief and assistance to any troops, combatants, vessels, or aircraft of the armed forces belonging to the United States or their allies when engaged in battle;
shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.

A lot of RoEs fail on those last two.

Posted by Procopius2k 2015-03-26 08:03|| 2015-03-26 08:03|| Front Page Top

#7 I don't believe prisoner (or hostage) swaps or ransoms are a good idea. I do believe in taking all reasonable steps to get a prisoner back (unless you can prove in absentia he was a deserter.) But there was no excuse to glamorize and publicise his return. One would hope this will work out to the shame and embarassment of the Administration, but I doubt it; more likely it will result in pressured retirements in the military and a forced acquittal on serious charges.

Posted by Glenmore 2015-03-26 08:17|| 2015-03-26 08:17|| Front Page Top

#8 Psaki is still sticking with the trade being a good decision. Good for the army in showing moral integrity--may be the only place to find it these days. Will this court martial be public or closed?

Posted by JohnQC 2015-03-26 08:26|| 2015-03-26 08:26|| Front Page Top

#9 State Department’s Jen Psaki On Bowe Bergdahl Being Charged With Desertion: Swap Was Still “Absolutely” Worth It…

Posted by Hupineger Glomomp52169 2015-03-26 08:29|| 2015-03-26 08:29|| Front Page Top

#10 Chelsea Manning couldn’t be reached for comment.

Posted by DepotGuy 2015-03-26 10:41|| 2015-03-26 10:41|| Front Page Top

#11 NYT was lamenting about BB losing his vet benefits and becoming a pitiful loser. Oh, wait, he already is, never mind.

Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839 2015-03-26 11:04|| 2015-03-26 11:04|| Front Page Top

#12 Next "pivot" to try insulating "The One":

DNC Hack Donna Brazile Refuses To Apologize For Smearing Bergdahl’s Platoon Mates As Liars…

Witnesses? We Don’t Need No Steenking Witnesses! – Obama State Department Calls Bergdahl’s Platoon Mates Liars (Caution: Harf alert!)

Posted by Hupineger Glomomp52169 2015-03-26 13:22|| 2015-03-26 13:22|| Front Page Top

#13 I figure why put him down like the dog he is (and piss off the softies) when we have so many big rocks that need to be turned into gravel.

Posted by rjschwarz 2015-03-26 14:21|| 2015-03-26 14:21|| Front Page Top

#14 If its too rough a punishment his father can help.

Posted by rjschwarz 2015-03-26 14:22|| 2015-03-26 14:22|| Front Page Top

#15 I could be wrong but I think the typical jihadi fears hard work more than death.

Posted by rjschwarz 2015-03-26 14:23|| 2015-03-26 14:23|| Front Page Top

#16 In Summary a Military Coup of sorts Against the Regime.

Posted by Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 2015-03-26 15:43|| 2015-03-26 15:43|| Front Page Top

#17 One would hope this will work out to the shame and embarassment of the Administration...

I don't think these people are capable of shame or embarassment, unless it's related to their country.

Posted by Woodrow Stalin1308 2015-03-26 20:05|| 2015-03-26 20:05|| Front Page Top

#18 How long until he asks for his gender reassignment hormones and surgery?

Posted by OldSpook 2015-03-26 23:19|| 2015-03-26 23:19|| Front Page Top

#19 Yeah, give him a free sex change - something neutral. Hammer works for me.

Posted by KBK 2015-03-26 23:39|| 2015-03-26 23:39|| Front Page Top

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