The Bergdahl Story

That's actually pretty good stand up material.

 

That stuff is a whole separate kettle of fish, for me.

The precedent of negotiating with Islamic extremists to surrender folks bad enough to warrant breaking the constitution and international law to detain (no trial, no charges, indefinitely holding them) can be traded for with captured Americans alarms me greatly. And at a rate of 5:1.


We can't abandon him just because he is a deserter, but we can't trade for him either.

And if he is a deserter he needs to face consequences, even if merely symbolic.

 

I disagree. You have a kid that is probably not well liked by those in his unit, because he is odd. Then he goes missing.

Ops are run day and night to try and find him. Scuttlebutt abounds. Friends and brothers are killed or wounded looking for him. That leaves a wound.

Then these writings of his come out, and the wound festers even more. And now you have this.

His intent may have been desertion. But I don't put much stock in the grumblings of those who have already formed their opinion.

 

We held them because we held them, because we had held them. And releasing them would be almost seen as an omission of our wrongdoing.

We had a dude walk in our lines one night. The machine gunner on post verbally warned him at the first mark. He kept coming. Flared him at the second mark. And he kept coming. And then dropped him at the final mark. Why did the guy keep coming? Can't say. Can only say that he was previously released from detention, where he spent 6 months in holding in country for placing an IED.

So I say that to say this: we released dudes all the damned time. The GITMO cats are special for reasons outside of their prowess on the battlefield.

 

It isn't about the danger. I do not believe they are much of a threat. It is about the message it sends. Kidnap Americans, use them as currency with America.

 

I find that a damn bit better than the old message; kidnap Americans, cut their heads off, and video the whole thing.

But that's me.

I'm also a fan of having those who would normally work in the shadows, come out in the daylight with a half assed plan to snag a serviceman, and get his head canoed for his effort. But my tactics may be rusty.

My advice to civilians would be stay the hell home.

 

Take my wife...

 

Exactly where I'm at.

 

Do you think that a deserter, "served the United States with honor and distinction" ?

 

Susan Rice strikes again!

 

I don't believe this one played out like the administration thought that it would. The real issue which isn't a schlock is not running it by congress which is required by law.

NBC had tweets from this guys father that seemed pretty extremist and soldiers from his unit talking about how he wasn't a hero.

 

I disagree with your disagreement.

I served with an array of people - oddballs, weirdos, confused, pacifists, war-mongers, etc. - many of whom I neither routinely spoke to/engaged, nor even particularly liked. Some I flat-out disliked. I probably hated a select few.

Despite this, at no point would I have failed to immediately help any/all of them to the best of my ability, and with whatever resources I had, whatever that might mean or require, and in any matter large or small. I certainly would not have willingly left them in hostile territory, or in the hands of the enemy, if such was in any way possible to prevent.

And however strongly I thought them still odd, weird, etc., as BPV said, I would never betray the how / why of it all (to "turn on them" as members of his unit have done) outside of their having willfully caused it to occur, such as by their own choice to desert. Short of that, I don't see anyone talking about it, either.

But that's just me, and from my (very) limited and personal experiences, some time ago.

 

Obama strikes again. The White House sends her out with their talking points.

 

President Obama did exactly what he had to do in order to bring the guy home.

How he did it (trading prisoners) and what necessary checks and balances that he may have over-stepped in doing so, may turn into a much larger problem for him.

His comments about "acting independently of Congress, where possible" (or something close to that, IIRC) sure as hell aren't going to help him, either. Neither side of the aisle is just going to be side-stepped by the President.

 

This is called "begging the question."

It is a really good example. You first have to show that this guy is a deserter. If he is, then I can answer the second.

 

You are talking about you. You are not the mean.

I can cite this site as an example.

 

Walking off an OP unarmed after he was relieved for the night?

 

Good point. As odd, douchy, smelly, or otherwise obnoxious someone in your section/platoon/troop is, he's still your guy at the end of the day. Just how it works

 

Bergdahl's motives aside, I can't fathom any soldier or officer having that kind of price tag. Not only is the government trading five known terrorists but the lives taken capturing them and looking for Bergdahl.

 

Hide and watch.