by Jack
Statements come out by his fellow soldiers…he’s no hero
It was a warm and fuzzy moment at the White House press conference, but it was so bizarre that words fail me. There’s just never been anything like this in history. Here’s a President, Barrack Hussein Obama, swelling with pride as he places his arm around the father of Bowie Bergdahl, as he announces Sgt. Bergdahl’s release in a prisoner exchange. This is a man that his fellow soldiers who knew him best have branded as a deserter.
Several soldiers left angry messages on the Army Times Facebook page in the hours after Bergdahl’s release, calling him a ‘deserter’ and a ‘sympathizer’. “One post, by Stephen Kirouac, claimed that Bergdahl’s ‘fellow soldiers were affected by his actions’. ‘He is a sympathizer and deserves to be tried for desertion,’ Kirouac’s post read, according to the Navy Times.
The stories about his alleged desertion are coming out despite soldiers being forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement. They are willing to take the risk because they are outraged! They don’t want Bergdahl to be called a hero by people who don’t have a clue about the gravity of what this man has done. And apparently his supporters either do not understand or care about the actions of his father who stopped just short of expressing blatant support for the Taliban. The Bergdahl’s did our country a lot of harm and so did Obama when he set a new precedent for a prisoner release.
We must remember the lives of better men than Bergdahl that were lost and lives of our loved ones in the military that were placed at great risk by this man. To a lesser extent we were hurt by the statements of his father too.
People who hail Bergdahl as a hero ought to remember that when American soldiers left their bases to search of him they placed themselves at great risk. The Taliban knew those bases were lightly defended and it’s been suggested that prompted attacks them. What Bergdahl is alleged to have done is unforgiveable. And that Bergdahl was automatically promoted to the rank of Sergeant while in captivity only by virtue of his time in grade should be considered another insult to military personnel that earned their rank under honorable conditions.
Greg Leatherman his former squad leader said, ”I believe that an investigation should take place as soon as healthcare professionals deem him fit to endure one.” He was also gracious enough to say he was glad he was returned home safely. “‘Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him,’ former Sergeant Matt Vierkant told CNN.
However, another official in the Obama Administration took a softer approach and said Bergdahl will not likely face any punishment. “Five years is enough,” he told CNN on condition of anonymity. Five years is NOT enough.? Bergdahl’s parting words before he disappeared weret, “I am ashamed to be an American.” He called his mission wrong and he did want to help “the fools.” I wonder if that civilian official knew what the penalty is for desertion in a combat zone? Hint- It’s a little more than 5 years and every soldier knows it.
We traded five high level, brutal terrorist murders of US service men for Bergdahl and for this the Obama Administration saw fit to make it into a publicity spectacle…this is so bizzare and out of character with the patriotism, dignity and integrity that we the people have a right to expect from the occupants of the White House.
Bob Bergdahl grew his long and grew a beard until he looked like a Taliban, he even learned to speak a little of their language. He lobbied about closing down Guantanamo and that played right into the hands of Al Qaeda and the their allies. He said terrible things, things that amounted to veiled threats against America, like God will have retribution for killing children, but he was always careful not to cross a line that couldn’t have plausible deniability if he were called on it .
From CNN, “Many of Bergdahl’s fellow troops — from the seven or so who knew him best in his squad, to the larger group that comprised the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division — told CNN that they signed nondisclosure agreements agreeing to never share any information about Bergdahl’s disappearance and the efforts to recapture him. Some were willing to dismiss that document in hopes that the truth would come out about a soldier who they now fear is being hailed as a hero, while the men who lost their lives looking for him are ignored.
Idaho hometown prepares for homecoming
Many are flocking to social media, such as the Facebook page “Bowe Bergdahl is NOT a hero,” where they share stories detailing their resentment. A number of comments on his battalion’s Facebook page prompted the moderator to ask for more respect to be shown.”
What we are left with now is this ditz of an Ambassador, Susan Rice, running around to the media, giving her assurances and that of the White House, that those hardcore terrorists her boss just released will be carefully monitored for the next 12 months and they won’t cause any more trouble.
Article 99, UCMJ:
“Any member of the armed forces who before or in the presence of the enemy—
(1) runs away;
(1) Running away.
(a) That the accused was before or in the presence of the enemy;
(b) That the accused misbehaved by running away; and
(c) That the accused intended to avoid actual or impending combat with the enemy by running away.
….shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.”
Your posts are always so flagrantly biased. So I went to see if Wiki had anything to say about him:
According to fellow soldier Specialist Jason Fry, Bergdahl was “quiet. He wasn’t one of the troublemakers – he was focused and well-behaved…Bowe sat alone on his cot, studying maps of Afghanistan”. Bergdahl told Fry before their deployment to Afghanistan, “If this deployment is lame, I’m just going to walk off into the mountains of Pakistan”.[16]
[And, seemingly, he did.]
Bergdahl’s unit was sent to an outpost called Mest-Malak in Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. Bergdhal learned how to speak Pashto, and, according to Fry, Bergdahl “began to gravitate away from his unit”, spending “more time with the Afghans than he did with his platoon”. Bergdahl’s father described his son to military investigators as “psychologically isolated”.
***
Pulled the last email he sent to his parents off Wiki:
“The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american. The horror of the self-righteous arrogance that they thrive in. It is all revolting.”
… “In the US army you are cut down for being honest… but if you are a conceited brown nosing shit bag you will be allowed to do what ever you want, and you will be handed your higher rank… The system is wrong. I am ashamed to be an american. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools…I am sorry for everything here. These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have no idea how to live. We don’t even care when we hear each other talk about running their children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks… We make fun of them in front of their faces, and laugh at them for not understanding we are insulting them…I am sorry for everything. The horror that is america is disgusting…There are a few more boxes coming to you guys. Feel free to open them, and use them.”
***
You have to admire a fellow who can make hard choices.
There should be an “Empathy Assessment” at enlistment. If you’ve got any, you can’t be a soldier in OUR army.
Dewey isn’t partisan, though…just trust him when he says so.
Hey Mr. Holyier-than-thou Dewey… it’s been 2 years since Benghazi and we still don’t know all the facts for that one. For instance why were they even there, huh? People may never know the truth on this guy because the gov made the soldiers sign these confidentiality agreements with penalties if they talked.
We cover the news Dewey…news, ever hear of it? We don’t wait for a jury to tell us the news do we? Dewey sometimes the things you say just amaze me.
Jack: “Hey Mr. Holyier-than-thou Dewey… it’s been 2 years since Benghazi and we still don’t know all the facts for that one. For instance why were they even there, huh?”
This question, like most of the right wings Unanswered Benghazi Questions, was answered more than a year ago:
CLINTON: Well, there is a lot of important questions in that, Mr. Chairman. And let me begin by saying that I was aware of certain incidents at our facility and the attack on the British diplomat. I was briefed on steps taken to repair the breach in the perimeter wall after the June bombing, steps taken to reduce off-compound movements.
Our team, led by security professionals, but also including intelligence professionals and others, did not recommend, based on those incidents, abandoning Benghazi. In part, because over the last years we have become accustomed to operating in dangerous places, in Pakistan, in Iraq — excuse me — in Afghanistan and Yemen and elsewhere. And we do, as by necessity, rely on security professionals to implement the protocols and procedures necessary to keep our people safe. And as I said in my opening statements, because you know, most of the time they get it right.
But I was also engaged — and I think this is what Deputy Secretary Burns was referring to — in the issues related to the deteriorating threat environment, particularly in Libya. There were other places across the region. We were also watching to try to see what we could do to support the Libyan government to improve the overall stability of their country to deal with the many militias. We have many programs and actions that we were working on. I had a number of conversations with leading Libyan officials. I went to Libya in October of 2011. In fact, shortly before the attack on Benghazi we approved Libya for substantial funding from a joint State/DOD account for border security, CT capabilities and WMD efforts.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1301/23/cnr.14.html
Chris you are assuming that Hillary said something relevant about what they were doing in Benghazi? C’mon, Congressman are still asking why we were there because they don’t know. That tells me you don’t know either. There’s a lot more to that story than, “We have many programs and actions that we were working on” What does that mean- that tells us nothing. Nothing.
Bergdahl’s commanding sergeant was just on Bet Baier’s show and he’s not talking kindly about Bergdahl “going missing” which put hundreds of soldiers searching for him. Six men died during the search and other’s lives were put in danger with bogus leads and failed booby traps.
I don’t know what he did or why, but it’s very clear according to Sgt. Waltz he and those who searched for him and not happy with the exchange of five knows terrorist for his return.
I am more upset with Obama’s decision once again to not follow our laws and acting like he can do what he wants when he wants and to he77 with being accountable to anyone, especially our Congress.
If Obama, according to Susan Rice, has been working on Bergdahl’s release for three years he should have complied with the law and gone through Congress!! He’s the one that’s always complaining he can’t work with Congress. How can you work with someone when you don’t even try?
Oops.
Above should say Bret Baier. And Michael Waltz is the name of the commanding officer.
From Rolling Stone.
13 Things You Need to Know About Bowe Bergdahl:
“Key facts from the late Michael Hastings’ profile of the freed Taliban POW.
10) Negotiations to bring Bergdahl home have been in the works for years — with Obama originally imagining the prisoner swap as an election-year overture toward a durable peace with the Taliban.
President Obama [has] announced that the United States will now pursue “a negotiated peace” with the Taliban. That peace is likely to include a prisoner swap – or a “confidence-building measure,” as U.S. officials working on the negotiations call it – that could finally end the longest war in America’s history. Bowe is the one prisoner the Taliban have to trade. “It could be a huge win if Obama could bring him home,” says a senior administration official familiar with the negotiations. “Especially in an election year, if it’s handled properly.”
11) But the swap didn’t have the backing of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Pentagon chief Leon Panetta, who weren’t ready to negotiate an end to the war, preferring the bloody path of counterinsurgency operations.
…Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are very wary about making a swap for Bowe. “Panetta and Hillary don’t give a shit about getting him home,” says one senior U.S. official involved in the negotiations. “They want to be able to say they COINed their way out of Afghanistan, or whatever, so it doesn’t look like they are cutting and running.”
12) The negotiations were also impeded by Senator John McCain, who was typically level-headed in this exchange with future Secretary of State John Kerry.”
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-bowe-bergdahl-20140602#ixzz33WrURWVf
Is Chris Dewey on drugs?
The article is pretty clear despite the lunatic ravings of Chris = Dewey = idiot AND/OR drug induced stupor.
Pie, I left one comment on this thread and it was to answer a question posed by Jack. If you have an actual response to my comment, then make one. If you’re just going to hurl venom at my very participation at this blog, without any real criticism, then find a hobby. Your vacuous bullying is not impressing anyone.
#1 Libby, our soldiers should not be void of empathy! That’s insulting to say that. They’re not robots – they are Americas sons and daughters.
They have plenty of empathy and plenty of good character. But, soldiers also must have discipline and apparently you think that makes them robots?
We can’t have an army of all generals free to roam and do whatever they want anymore than we can have a factory run by all CEO’s. The army is a team and it requires everyone to do their part.
Further more…we NEVER ask our soldiers to obey illegal orders, but we do expect them to obey lawful ones. Bergdahl’s comments were an insult to this tradition.
We don’t want barbarians raping and pillaging, we want ethical, honorable and courageous young men and women doing their duty and upholding the values of America.
Do you know what the motto of the USA Special Forces is? “To liberate the oppressed” De Oppresso Liber! That says a lot about Green Berets and the army. And it says a lot about our country. SF are America’s finest and they’re rock solid in character! Most of our fighting forces have mottos that reflect high character.
Bergdahl thought nothing of his fellow soldiers or his country and I bet he didn’t get this attitude all by himself either. His parents must have really done a number of this kid.
You have to ask yourself, if he didn’t believe in his mission, his country or his oath – what did he believe in?
Was he so stupid or selfish that he thought he could join the army and go along wit the program until it didn’t suit his purpose and then walk off?
Obviously he did not belong in the army – that much is obvious now.
Okay, he might have been quiet, but so what? Look at the damage he caused.
And remember this Libby, he said, “I, Bowie Bergdahl, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
He swore this oath – that solemn oath is supposed to mean something to all of us. When kind of empty vessel can kiss that off?
Well, that oath means something to me, as it did my father (USN-WWII) and my uncles (US Army WWI-WWII), they served honorably and my grandson (USN) is serving honorably right now. My Uncle Earl (US Army) was killed in action in Germany.
The Bergdahl’s are clever people that learned to speak Afghani Pashtun, but I doubt they could recite the pledge of allegiance.
Former Sgt. Michael Waltz’s interview with Bret Baier.
http://news.yahoo.com/video/insider-opens-previous-efforts-sgt-232511838.html
Wow…that’s some story. I had no idea these 6 soldiers died while trying to rescue Bergdahl. Bergdahl has a lot to answer for. Thanks Peggy.
“Also if we had not broken the law and tortured these guys the story may have been different.” I doubt it, but besides when did that take place? After they helped to kill 3000 people in New York. Have they ever tortured anyone? Like stoning women or beheading people or planting bombs to kill innocent people? Nah, they’re the picture of peace aren’t they. They are not ruthless Huns, that would murder and pillage at the drop of the turban. They’re all real nice people, huh Dewey?
Actually … it’s Bowe.
And a soldier is not obliged by his oath to follow orders he believes to be immoral.
You know that.
But, oooooooh, that’s subjective territory. Bowe took his position, and who knows, yet, what will come of it.
“The Bergdahl’s are clever people that learned to speak Afghani Pashtun, but I doubt they could recite the pledge of allegiance.”
This, Jack, is shameful, and what the delete button is for. Do you not realize, really, that by this statement you have only bolstered Bowe’s assessment of the Afghan war, and the fellows who fought it?
Soldiers Bergdahl was stationed with are reporting secure areas began being attacked just after he walked away. They believe he told them where to strike.
It’s not just the six who died trying to find Bergdahl, there are also those who died and wounded because of the information he gave them (if he did) and those who died and wounded capturing the five Gitmo terrorist. Don’t know how many died, yet, but I would think the loved ones of those who died or came home without body parts are upset to know Obama let those five go.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/06/02/Bowe-Bergdahl-Scheduled-For-Promotion-to-Staff-Sergeant-in-June
Gosh, I wonder who put in the recommendation?
This from a pair of boots on the ground…
“Bergdahl was in my company — Blackfoot Company, 2nd Platoon, 1-501st Airborne infantry regiment. He deserted our unit while we were in Afghanistan — walked right off the OP. I had two close friends killed in action while looking for this piece of s–t. We endured the deployments and the ops, embraced the suck and served honorably — but this POS was not one of us. It is a soldier’s duty to survive, evade, resist and escape (SERE), and to give the enemy hell while you’re in captivity. Bergdahl was compliant with the enemy. And now word is that Obama has ordered up a promotion to Staff Sergeant. He deserted his brothers, his country and now he is now being rewarded for it? Some suggest he is just a deserter, but in fact, he is a traitor. He is no hero. I have known genuine heroes and to suggest he is among them is outrageous. Let me repeat: HE IS NO HERO!”
Obama might want to give Bergdahl the POS a promotion but the Pentagon is thinking more along the lines of the American people and they have put his promotion on hold and sources say they are moving forward with an investigation. Hey, Obama, I’ll give him a promotion right now I hereby and forever promote him to the rank of POS. Congratulations POS Bergdahl. And Obama you can have that title too!
Jack: “Chris you are assuming that Hillary said something relevant about what they were doing in Benghazi? C’mon, Congressman are still asking why we were there because they don’t know. That tells me you don’t know either. There’s a lot more to that story than, “We have many programs and actions that we were working on” What does that mean- that tells us nothing. Nothing.”
Jack, read the quote again. She was more specific than that. Republican Congressmen are still asking questions that they have already gotten the answer to. For God’s sake, they’re still asking who gave the “stand down” order when they know no stand-down order was given! They’re asking who came up with the video story when the CIA talking points connecting the attack with the anti-video protest in Cairo have been out for over a year! They don’t have a shred of evidence of a political cover-up, but they continue with investigation after investigation because they are determined to tarnish Obama’s reputation by any means necessary. If they can use the issue to fundraise then that’s even better.
POS= Prime Obama Supporter
#25 and then there’s that…they both interchange fairly well.
I guess we could blindly accept Hillary’s statement but what do we do with testimony from various sources on the ground that call into question her truthfullness?
CBS News:
The Blaze
Here’s how the administration obfuscates:
OMG! That’s a horse hockey excuse if ever there was one.
Your house is on fire. Local firemen begin to ready themselves to respond. The command they are given is that their mission is to finish cooking the salmon they have going on the barbie followed by giving the equipment a good polish! (Someone else is handling it, guys, your mission is the fire station.)
Maybe the question is why are the administrations communications muddy? What are they hiding?
President Obama is the Commander-in-Chief. Why, Chris, would you think he should not be held responsible and accountable?
He should be demanding answers!
Thank you Jack. The usual idiots complain.
Tina: “I guess we could blindly accept Hillary’s statement”
No, you should never blindly accept anything.
“but what do we do with testimony from various sources on the ground that call into question her truthfullness?”
Well, the first thing we should do is realize that you did not cite testimony from “various sources,” you cited testimony from one source, Greg Hicks, who quotes Lt. Col. S.E. Gibson second-hand.
The second thing we should do is go to the primary source: Lt. Col. S.E. Gibson himself, to see what he actually said:
“WASHINGTON – The former commander of a four-member Army Special Forces unit in Tripoli, Libya, denied Wednesday that he was told to stand down during last year’s deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.
In a closed-door session with the House Armed Services Committee, Lt. Col. S.E. Gibson said his commanders told him to remain in the capital of Tripoli to defend Americans in the event of additional attacks and to help survivors being evacuated from Benghazi.
“Contrary to news reports, Gibson was not ordered to ‘stand down’ by higher command authorities in response to his understandable desire to lead a group of three other special forces soldiers to Benghazi,” the Republican-led committee said in a summary of its classified briefing with military officials, including Gibson.”
So on one hand we have Greg Hicks giving his second-hand interpretation of what Lt. Col. Gibson said, and on the other hand we have Gibson saying that he never actually said there was a “stand down” order.
Gibson’s statements are consistent with Martin Dempsey’s, as well as various other officials involved.