Bergdahl to face desertion charges......

[Rockefeller GOP]

Piece of sh**t needs to be locked up in Leavenworth forever.

Exactly. Soldiers died looking for his ass. This isn't a simple question of going AWOL.

[Cory]

It's probably the right decision.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Piece of sh**t needs to be locked up in Leavenworth forever.

Exactly. Soldiers died looking for his ass. This isn't a simple question of going AWOL.

[Redalgo]

I can understand a loss in backpay for while he was in captivity but I don't bear any ill-will towards the guy and hope he doesn't end up in prison. Moreover, if a person wants out before their tour is up they should be allowed to leave. If the contracts weren't quite so demanding we might not have soldiers simply run off unannounced and end up having to track them down and pay for investigations, court proceedings, etc.

[Mr. Morden]

*bump*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/12/14/sgt-bowe-bergdahl-recommended-to-face-general-court-martial-for-desertion/

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[Classic Conservative]

God I hope he gets life.

[Frodo]

He'll get no sympathy from me. 

[Higgs]

He'll get no sympathy from me. 

Same here

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I still support him. I entrust he will get a fair trial, but innocent until proven guilty.

When will try Cheney for Iraq?

[SATW]

Good. No tears from me.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

life in prison?  seems a bit extreme, as I don't think he did anything with any expectation that it would lead to harm for his fellow soldiers.

[Kushahontas]

life in prison?  seems a bit extreme, as I don't think he did anything with any expectation that it would lead to harm for his fellow soldiers.

[Clark Kent]

Good. Bringing him back was absolutely the right thing to do - no man left behind - but his actions caused the deaths of people searching for him. He needs to answer for that.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I'm up for a firing squad for this deserter but I guess they don't do that these days.

I wonder how his Taliban dad is taking this?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

What does the United States military gain by doing this, exactly?

Given the fact the military, not us, have in essence indicted him for a major crime based on facts we don't have, they gain the hope that few others will try this lest they face a similar charge and a possible life in prison sentence.

You have to send a message that desertion is not an option.  Period.

[Torie]

life in prison?  seems a bit extreme, as I don't think he did anything with any expectation that it would lead to harm for his fellow soldiers.

Oh, I suspect Obama will reduce (commute) his sentence before he leaves office if the sentence is that harsh. He should spend at least 5 years in jail however. And if he actually fought for the other side, he needs to get life.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

life in prison?  seems a bit extreme, as I don't think he did anything with any expectation that it would lead to harm for his fellow soldiers.

Oh, I suspect Obama will reduce (commute) his sentence before he leaves office if the sentence is that harsh. He should spend at least 5 years in jail however. And if he actually fought for the other side, he needs to get life.

If he fought for the other side, the Taliban would be happy to make it clear. I think that is off the table by this point.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

life in prison?  seems a bit extreme, as I don't think he did anything with any expectation that it would lead to harm for his fellow soldiers.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Yay for jingoinism, nationalism and militarism!

This isn't a game of Ingress... you leave your post and your fellow soldiers could get killed.  What he did was a clear dereliction of duty and you don't get a free pass.

At least two American soldiers were killed during the search operation to find him, and many Afghan civilians likely were as well. Now, his superior officers should have noticed his deteriorating mental state and had him pulled out of the combat zone, but the fact remains that he deserted his post and men died needlessly looking for him.

[ingemann]

Yay for jingoinism, nationalism and militarism!

This isn't a game of Ingress... you leave your post and your fellow soldiers could get killed.  What he did was a clear dereliction of duty and you don't get a free pass.

At least two American soldiers were killed during the search operation to find him, and many Afghan civilians likely were as well. Now, his superior officers should have noticed his deteriorating mental state and had him pulled out of the combat zone, but the fact remains that he deserted his post and men died needlessly looking for him.

But that's exactly why the military charged him, so it can avoid the blame. They kept a mentally ill person in a military zone, until he did something deeply self destructive and irrational, so if he's not blamed, his superiors and the system would be blamed for failing him. So of course he needs to be punished.
 

[Bigby]

Too bad they probably won't execute him, though considering treason is supposed to get the death penalty, he deserves it.

[Lyin' Steve]

What does the United States military gain by doing this, exactly?

You can't just wander off with no reason when you're in the military.  And, the military is kind of a stickler for rules and discipline for whatever reason.

It's just that getting held captive by the Taliban for four or five years or so would fit most people's definitions of 'having suffered enough' and then some.

Perhaps they could charge him and have him answer for it and then commute any penalty as time served.

We're the United States of America, we don't outsource our criminal justice to the f**king Taliban.

[MaxQue]

Too bad they probably won't execute him, though considering treason is supposed to get the death penalty, he deserves it.

Before him, we should begin by all the Putin lovers. Supporting the leader of the USSR is treason.

[Slander and/or Libel]

Too bad they probably won't execute him, though considering treason is supposed to get the death penalty, he deserves it.

Treason has very seldom gotten the death penalty.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Too bad they probably won't execute him, though considering treason is supposed to get the death penalty, he deserves it.

I'm sure whoever edits RT would also be quite happy if a US court decided to execute a deserter.