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bigtree

(86,005 posts)
Sat May 31, 2014, 07:42 PM May 2014

Look of pure joy on Jani Bergdahl's face

Last edited Sat May 31, 2014, 10:18 PM - Edit history (2)

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TheObamaDiary.com ‏@TheObamaDiary 53m
Look at the expression on Jani Bergdahl's face. Pure joy. pic.twitter.com/zmxWfNGR1e



tod

The White House @WhiteHouse
"This morning, I called Bob & Jani Bergdahl and told them that after nearly 5 years in captivity, their son Bowe is coming home." —Obama



15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Lee-Lee

(6,324 posts)
8. There is actually pretty strong evidence he was a deserter, or at a minimum wandered off his post.
Sat May 31, 2014, 09:06 PM
May 2014

I know a few people that were in the region at the time, nobody has much good to say about him and his actions, many are openly hostile to him.

Here is a post in the comments on the Army Times article:


http://www.armytimes.com/comments/article/20140531/NEWS/305310045/U-S-soldier-Bergdahl-freed-from-captivity-Afghanistan


Michael Butler Forwarded from Jeff Howard. "We were at OP Mest, Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It was a small outpost where B Co 1-501st INF (Airbone) ran operations out of, just an Infantry platoon and ANA counterparts there. The place was an Afghan graveyard. Bergdahl had been acting a little strange, telling people he wanted to "walk the earth" and kept a little journal talking about how he was meant for better things. No one thought anything about it. He was a little “out there”. Next morning he's gone. We search everywhere, and can't find him. He left his weapon, his kit, and other sensitive items. He only took some water, a compass and a knife. We find some afghan kids shortly after who saw an american walking north asking about where the taliban are. We get hits on our voice intercepter that Taliban has him, and we were close. We come to realize that the kid deserted his post, snuck out of camp and sought out Taliban… to join them. We were in a defensive position at OP Mest, where your focus is to keep people out. He knew where the blind spots were to slip out and that's what he did. It was supposed to be a 4-day mission but turned into several months of active searching. Everyone was spun up to find this guy. News outlets all over the country were putting out false information. It was hard to see, especially when we knew the truth about what happened and we lost good men trying to find him. PFC Matthew Michael Martinek, Staff Sgt. Kurt Robert Curtiss, SSG Clayton Bowen, PFC Morris Walker, SSG Michael Murphrey, 2LT Darryn Andrews, were all KIA from our unit who died looking for Bergdahl. Many others from various units were wounded or killed while actively looking for Bergdahl. Fighting Increased. IEDs and enemy ambushes increased. The Taliban knew that we were looking for him in high numbers and our movements were predictable. Because of Bergdahl, more men were out in danger, and more attacks on friendly camps and positions were conducted while we were out looking for him. His actions impacted the region more than anyone wants to admit. There is also no way to know what he told the Taliban: Our movements, locations, tactics, weak points on vehicles and other things for the enemy to exploit are just a few possibilities. The Government knows full well that he deserted. It looks bad and is a good propaganda piece for the Taliban. They refuse to acknowledge it. Hell they even promoted him to Sergeant which makes me sick. I feel for his family who only want their son/brother back. They don’t know the truth, or refuse to acknowledge it as well. What he did affected his family and his whole town back home, who don’t know the truth. Either way what matters is that good men died because of him. He has been lying on all those Taliban videos about everything since his “capture”. If he ever returns, he should be tried under the UCMJ for being a deserter and judged for what he did. Bergdahl is not a hero, he is not a soldier or an Infantryman. He failed his brothers. Now, sons and daughters are growing up without their fathers who died for him and he will have to face that truth someday."


This is pretty consistent with the accounts I have heard since shortly after his "capture".

So as a Soldier (for a short while longer until my USAR retirement gets processed anyway) I am glad he is back, but if this is remotely accurate hope he also faces the proper disciplinary action for his actions.

Lets hope whatever the story is that the truth is told and it isn't whitewashed.

bigtree

(86,005 posts)
9. wandered off the base?
Sat May 31, 2014, 09:13 PM
May 2014

. . . NO ONE should be concerned with that nonsense, least of all, the people who sent him there. Interesting how his state of mind is questioned. If he was mentally incapacitated, he should be given consideration for that.

He was a U.S. soldier in harm's way who was captured and held for almost 5 years. If that isn't 'discipline' enough . . .

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
11. I can see someone "wondering off" for awhile, but you'd have to be suicidal to think
Sat May 31, 2014, 09:18 PM
May 2014

you'd survive as a deserter in that area.

Ohio Joe

(21,761 posts)
14. An unsourced comment on the internet... Now there is some strong evidence...
Sat May 31, 2014, 10:45 PM
May 2014

I sometimes just don't know what I'm seeing here anymore.

bigtree

(86,005 posts)
6. prisoner exchanges at the end of a war
Sat May 31, 2014, 08:52 PM
May 2014

unheard of . . .

The Paris Peace Accords of 1973 included provisions for exchanging prisoners of war. The plan to bring American prisoners home was called OPERATION HOMECOMING. Prisoners were to be returned to U.S. control during February and March 1973, with the longest-held generally returning first.

OPERATION HOMECOMING returned 591 POWs: 325 Air Force personnel, 77 Army, 138 Navy, 26 Marines and 25 civilians. Those who were not freed at Hanoi--POWs held in South Vietnam by the Viet Cong, mostly Army and civilians--left from Loc Ninh, the scene of the North Vietnam-South Vietnam prisoner exchange.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=14412




President Nixon shakes hands with Lieutenant John McCain in the receiving line at a welcome home ceremony for returned POW's in the State Department Auditorium.

bigtree

(86,005 posts)
13. what it takes to get us to the streets
Sat May 31, 2014, 10:21 PM
May 2014

. . .and, what it takes to translate those demonstrations into political action.

struggle4progress

(118,325 posts)
4. The Gitmo detainees swapped for Bergdahl: Who are they?
Sat May 31, 2014, 08:25 PM
May 2014

By CNN Staff
updated 7:55 PM EDT, Sat May 31, 2014

... A plane carrying the detainees left the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo, Cuba, after the announcement that Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2009, had been exchanged for the five men.

Saturday's transfer was brokered through the Qatari government, a senior Defense official said. According to senior administration officials, Qatar agreed to take custody of the detainees and provide assurances they would not pose a threat to the United States, including a one-year ban from travel out of Qatar.

Two senior administration officials confirmed the names of the five released detainees as Khair Ulla Said Wali Khairkhwa, Mullah Mohammad Fazl, Mullah Norullah Nori, Abdul Haq Wasiq and Mohammad Nabi Omari.

They were mostly mid- to high-level officials in the Taliban regime and had been detained early in the war in Afghanistan, because of their positions within the Taliban, not because of ties to al Qaeda ...


http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/31/us/bergdahl-transferred-guantanamo-detainees/

joshcryer

(62,276 posts)
10. What's great to me was how the dad was himself.
Sat May 31, 2014, 09:17 PM
May 2014

Now I'm not saying that this administration would want to change the image of him, but I can imagine previous administrations telling him he needed to shave, don't speak a foreign language, whatever. So the dad was allowed to be who he is and it was accepted.

I hope their son gets treated well, I know he is seen as a deserter and even if he did, I think his time as a hostage paid for that price to an extent, so if they charge him I hope they go easy.

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