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Yes, and I wonder if he did desert if he will actually admit to it. My husband thinks that if he was crazy enough to try to defect to the Taliban that he will probably say so, but who knows.

Sounds a lot like the plot to Homeland!

@mrbee exactly what I've been saying all weekend!

Hm. I come from a somewhat military family and I was in the Army, so that definitely colors my view.

I do not think he should have been left to rot.
BUT, if he was a deserter, he put his unit in significant danger in several ways: he knew specifics about his base, patrols, equipment, etc. and all of that information was compromised as soon as he put himself in enemy hands (willing or not). The soldiers were also in significant danger searching for him and apparently 6 were killed in the search.
If he wanted to renege on his contract with the military, there were a million other ways he could have done it without putting his unit and their mission at risk.
They are right to feel angry.

@MamaMoose: But what is the alternative? Just saying "forget it" and leaving him there? I also think if the Taliban wanted to use him against us, the best thing we could do for them is leave him there so they could say, "hey look, your people abandoned you. They don't care about you."

@MamaMoose: Yep, he would be court martialed. Technically, desertion during time of war has a max penalty of death but they don't ever give the max penalty anymore. It would probably be dishonorable discharge and possible jail time.

And, I'm gonna be real here for a second, if it was my loved one killed searching for him, my brother or husband or son, and it turns out he deserted? ? I would want him dead.

....oh, who am I kidding? I would probably feel too sad for his parents to actually vote to kill him, but I would want to.

(ets there is no voting process in this situation, but you know what i mean, lol)

Has the Taliban come out and said that's he joined their efforts? I feel like if it was true that he did, they would have used that as leverage.

This is a hot topic on Facebook today. One of my friends is former military, and he started debate. Someone who was directly affected by this commented. I really don't know what to think, though. I don't recall ever hearing about this soldier until the news reported he was being freed.

@looch-Oh I mean from a mental perspective. He got fucked with, no matter what. 5 years is so long to be a POW.

@lizzywiz, lol, when DH was deployed, he always asked I send extras because they would get mad if you didn't share a bag for him, a bag for the battalion....

Just a couple thoughts:

(1) Regardless of how he was captured, he deserves to come home.

(2) Regardless of how he was captured, it is truly sad that others lost their lives in the process of searching for him.

That does not, however, mean that he is responsible for those deaths. There are risks associated with all activities in hostile territory, and the threat of injury/death is ever present. There is no proof--nor can there ever be--that there would not have been greater loss of life from any other regular/routine activity. None of us are omniscient.

(3) His open disgust/disillusionment with military/foreign policy does not mean that he has done what he accused of doing (desertion/traitor).

@blackbird: In my mind, there are just too many possibilities (superseding/intervening acts) to make the conclusion regarding responsibility certain enough that it would be worth ruining a man's life over (more so than it already has been). There is no way to know that their search activities didn't actually save lives that would otherwise have been lost . . . nobody knows what would have happened. In other situations, I could see a more direct application of the *but for* analysis. But in this volatile environment, especially with the lack of more concrete evidence, the cost to Bergdahl--and every other accused person--is just too great. (ETA: he will always be known as a traitor/deserter, regardless of the truth of those allegations. But I totally get where you're coming from.)

And truly, my biggest outrage is with the command and politicians, for too many reasons to list here. ETA: I am hugely pro-soldier though!

ETA: that doesn't mean that there isn't a situation in which I would hold him responsible. just not this one--yet (without knowing more).

I just heard from an old friend who served with him at the time he went missing. He says he deserted. That he sent possessions back home, was in talks with the afghan police, ambivalent on thoughts of the war, etc. My friend says he just wants him to have his day in court for desertion. And not hailed as a hero.

Talk about a small ass world. And I'm not sure how I feel on the matter, all to say it doesn't much matter.

@lizzywiz: that's what I keep thinking too.