Friday, November 03, 2017

Bergdahl Walks

It seems that the deserter, Bowie Bergdahl will get no prison time.  The military judge in his case decided that the offense didn't merit jail time.
Army Col. Judge Jeffery R. Nance said Bergdahl will be dishonorably discharged when issuing the ruling Friday after nearly two weeks of testimony by Bergdahl’s former comrades. Bergdahl, 31, was held by the Taliban for five years before being released in a prisoner swap in 2014.
Okay, let's see.  Sergeant Bergdahl walked off his post, endangered his fellow soldiers, deserted, and was subsequently captured by the Taliban.  They held him for five years .

The time that the Taliban held him shouldn't count for shit.  Ut was Vergdahl's choice to walk off his port. 

The military judge, LTC Nance, evidently wanted to make the point that the military justice system was independent, and he didn't want to be swayed by Donald Trumps exclamations in this matter.    I would hope that Nance's superiors give him holy hell for letting a deserter walk.    Nance may have upheld his independence, but he's also pissed on the good soldiers who stood crappy posts all over the world.

Letting Bergdahl walk is not justice.  It may be a rebuke to Trump's remarks, but Nance had a higher calling.  It's his job to uphold military discipline, and he failed miserably.  That failing should be reflected on his next efficiency report.

So, LTC Nance, you may feel like you've done the right thing, but this old Cavalry major thinks you screwed the pooch, buddy.

3 comments:

Old NFO said...

Yep, he bent the pooch over the table... Bergdahl should have gone to prison for life!

Murphy's Law said...

He should have been breaking rocks in the sun for a decade or two and then been released in Afghanistan to fend for himself. And just to keep him from being lonely, Chelsea Manning should have been sent with him.

juvat said...

This old fighter pilot agrees with the Cavalry on this one. Life without parole.