U.S. Army commander approves Bergdahl sentence, no prison time

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – A senior U.S. military commander is endorsing the decision to spare Army Pvt. Bowe Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, prison time for abandoning his post in Afghanistan, endangering military comrades who participated in the lengthy search for him.

Army Gen. Robert Abrams, head of U.S. Army Forces Command, approved the court-martial sentencing handed down last November. Bergdahl was reduced in rank from sergeant to private and ordered to forfeit $1,000 a month in pay for 10 months. The judge also gave him a dishonorable discharge.

The fine and rank reduction were effective two weeks after the judge’s sentence was delivered. The case is now referred to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which automatically reviews any punitive discharges.

Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held for five years.

Read more: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jun/05/us-army-commander-approves-bergdahl-sentence-no-pr/

[mopinko]

1. i'm so glad to hear this.

my nephew negotiated his release. i dont know how he will feel about this. he is a bit of a wingnut. but i cant imagine he freed him from the taliban just to see him rot in leavenworth.
i am sure obama didnt either.

[Equinox Moon]

3. "he is a bit of a wingnut". Yes, people do suffer from mental illness.

They suffer it.

[mopinko]

4. career army.

his momma didnt raise him to be that way, but his old man was a hard guy.
all those years of af radio....

[Equinox Moon]

2. I am glad he won't be imprisoned, he has been through enough.

[SkyDaddy7]

6. Same here...

Im glad he is not being forced to serve time. However, there is no telling what his mental state is like as well as the mental demons & extreme psychological issues he has after 5yrs as a prisoner of the Taliban...Who tortured him including water boarding & they kept him in a cage almost the entire time!

...The very sad fact is he was given a “Dishonorable Discharge” which means he loses all military/Veterans benefits including access to the Veterans Administration (VA)!
So, that means he will get NO HELP AT ALL in getting the proper long term mental health care he needs...Plus, chances are very high he will struggle to get hired doing crap work for little pay & no benefits.

Look how hard it is for Americans with past felonies to find a decent...Well, a “Dishonorable Discharge” via court Martial is a FELONY...It can’t get much worse in the eyes of most employers!

[Equinox Moon]

9. How to get this information to him?

The Center for Victims of Torture
There are centers in Georgia and Minnesota. St. Paul, Minnesota is the international headquarters. This is a non-profit. Maybe they can help him.

https://www.cvt.org/

How to get this rich resource to him?

[SkyDaddy7]

10. Good point!?

I’m not sure where he even resides now...And if that would be practical. I just hope he doesn’t end up in a situation where he hurts himself or especially someone else because he was abandoned to live alone with his past. I’m a Vet & I understand as much as anyone what he did cannot be tolerated but we also need to be smart about what he went through! Maybe they will watch him?

[marble falls]

5. Its a shame its taken so long to come down to what is a fair resolution.

[Sunlei]

7. five years held by the Taliban was enough torture & here's the release video-historic!

a shame Americas diplomatic abilities have been gutted in such a short time.

[dembotoz]

8. wonder it trump bastard will try to impose something for political gain

pardon the rich sentence the poor

he is commander is chief.....