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Originally posted by Forever_frost
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He ain't far away. You may want to consider killing him.Magnus, I am your father. You need to ask your mother about a man named Calvin Klein. -
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It would be a violation. Unless he is sentenced to such a fate and I am authorized to perform it, my hands are tied. That oath I took keeps me from enacting punishment unless it is warranted and ordered to legally, by a court or in his case, court martial.Originally posted by svo855 View PostI wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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Georgia family wants Berghdahl held accountable
Posted: Mar 26, 2015 8:44 PM CST Updated: Mar 26, 2015 8:44 PM CST
Posted by Gerardo Martinez
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Shannon and Mark Allen (Photo: Shannon Allen's Facebook Page) Shannon and Mark Allen (Photo: Shannon Allen's Facebook Page)
LOGANVILLE, GA (WXIA) – Once hailed a military hero, US Army Sergeant Bowe Berghdahl could now face life in prison.
Nine months after he was freed in a controversial prisoner swap, Berghdahl is charged with desertion and endangering fellow soldiers.
Soldiers from Georgia, from the National Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade, risked their lives searching for Bergdahl when they thought he was an unwilling captive of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Master Sgt. Mark Allen of Loganville was among them; he risked his life during the search and he will never be the same.
He cannot speak for himself now. He is paralyzed and needs constant care because he was shot in the head by an enemy sniper in Afghanistan.
Allen was wounded while he and his fellow Georgia National Guard soldiers were trying to find and rescue Bergdahl soon after he disappeared in 2009.
Allen's wife, Shannon Allen, was not aware of the circumstances when she and the community welcomed her wounded husband home in December, 2011.
But now, many blame Bergdahl -- not only for Master Sgt. Allen's brain injuries and paralysis, but also for the deaths of at least six other soldiers who also helped search for Bergdahl.
They could never have known, then, that Bergdahl would be charged with desertion.
This past June when the U.S. traded Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners and brought Bergdahl home, Shannon Allen unleashed her fury in a Facebook post that shot around the world --
"Meet my husband," she wrote, "injuries directly brought to you by the actions of this traitor," Bergdahl.
On the phone with 11Alive News on Wednesday, Ms. Allen said she would not comment now on the decision to charge Bergdahl with desertion.
But last June she was quoted in the Walton Tribune [subscription required], saying, "I wish [Bergdahl] no ill will. I am glad he is no longer a prisoner... People lost their lives - even Mark, who no longer has the life he had before. I just think [Bergdahl] needs to face the consequences. He still needs to be held accountable for what he did."
One of the two charges against Bergdahl -- endangering the lives of fellow soldiers -- carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
But for the grace of God, go I.Last edited by Forever_frost; 03-27-2015, 09:22 PM.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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Platoon leader describes shock at Bergdahl's disappearance
By Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press 1:20 p.m. EDT September 17, 2015
Bergdahl
(Photo: Darren Abate/AP)
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SAN ANTONIO — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's commanding officer when the Idaho native vanished from his post in Afghanistan six years ago testified Thursday that he thought his soldiers were playing a joke on him when they told him that Bergdahl had gone missing.
Speaking at the outset of an Article 32 hearing to determine if Bergdahl should face a military trial on desertion and other charges, Capt. John Billings said that when he realized they were telling the truth, he was "in shock, absolute utter disbelief that I couldn't find one of my own men. That's a hard thing to swallow," he told the military prosecutor, Maj. Margaret Kurz.
Kurz alleged that Bergdahl had planned for weeks to abandon his post and that there was enough evidence to warrant that the Idaho native face a court-martial.
"Under the cover of darkness, he snuck off the post," Kurz told the officer presiding over the hearing.
ARMY TIMES
Lawyer slams Army, cites 'open season' on Sgt. Bergdahl
Bergdahl, who spent five years as a Taliban captive before being exchanged for five Taliban commanders being held by the U.S., took notes throughout the proceedings, which could last several days. When asked if by the presiding officer if he understood the charges, he said "Yes sir."
Before the start of the hearing, which is taking place at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where Bergdahl has been stationed since returning to the U.S. last year, legal experts said they expected Bergdahl's lawyers to argue that he suffered enough during his years in captivity.
Before disappearing from his post in southeastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009, Bergdahl had expressed opposition to the war in general and misgivings about his own role in it.
His lead attorney, Eugene Fidell, has cited an Army investigation that determined Bergdahl left his post, but not the Army, and that his "specific intent was to bring what he thought were disturbing circumstances to the attention of the nearest general officer."
Fidell said he plans to call witnesses, but he declined to say whether Bergdahl would be among them or to disclose further details about his strategy.
Officials say the Taliban captured Bergdahl after he left his post. After he was exchanged for the five Taliban prisoners who were being held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Bergdahl was charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. If convicted of the misbehavior charge, he could face up to life in a military prison. He could also be dishonorably discharged, reduced in rank and made to forfeit all pay.
Some members of Bergdahl's former unit have called for serious punishment, alleging that some service members died looking for him.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl prepares to be interviewed by Army
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl prepares to be interviewed by Army investigators in August 2014. (Photo: Eugene R. Fidell/AP)
While the Pentagon has said there is no evidence anyone died searching for Bergdahl, legal experts say the misbehavior charge allows authorities to allege his actions put soldiers who searched for him in harm's way.
Billings, Bergdahl's platoon leader, said the search for Bergdahl lasted from the day he went missing until the end of that August and that it was grueling, often involving little rest and temperatures in the high 90s.
Fidell has expressed concern that negative publicity that has been highly critical of Bergdahl could influence how the case is resolved. The GOP and some Democrats have long criticized the prisoner swap as politically motivated and a flagrant violation of U.S. policy against negotiating with terrorists.
Among those who have criticized Bergdahl have been GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called Bergdahl a traitor.
"I'm not going to dignify Mr. Trump's comments any more than I have," Fidell said. "The amount of abuse to which (Bergdahl) has been subjected to in the blogosphere and elsewhere concerns me greatly."
Eric Carpenter, a law professor at Florida International University who also worked as a military attorney, said he expects Fidell will focus on arguing that the charges should not be referred to a court-martial, presenting evidence of how difficult it was for Bergdahl while in captivity.
He said Fidell might argue that Bergdahl should be given an "other than honorable discharge" and be allowed to go home.
Larry Youngner, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who specializes in military law, said he believes there is a "very strong case" by the prosecution.
"We can't have soldiers abandoning their posts in a combat zone during a time of war," said Youngner. "This is a hugely serious offense."
The Article 32 hearing will result in a report that will be forwarded to Gen. Robert Abrams, the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command. Abrams will decide whether the case should be referred to a court-martial or is resolved in another manner.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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Evan Buetow was home in Washington state last year when he learned that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a member of his team in Afghanistan, had been released after five years in Taliban captivity.
He was glad Bergdahl was safely returned, but a Rose Garden ceremony and a hero's welcome for an alleged deserter didn't seem right to him.
After President Barack Obama announced that five Taliban leaders had been released in exchange for Bergdahl's freedom, Buetow turned off the television.
"Why are they talking about him like he's some poor POW, like he never had a choice?" said Buetow, who is no longer in the Army.
Buetow's feelings reflect one side of a wartime incident that has divided the nation.
Bergdahl, 29, has been largely silent since his release, but his version of events will start coming out at a public hearing that begins Thursday in San Antonio. The hearing will determine if there is probable cause to proceed to a court-martial on desertion and other charges. Both sides can present evidence and cross-examine witnesses at the hearing.
Bergdahl is charged with "desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty" and "misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place." He could face life imprisonment if convicted.
At issue is whether he deserted his post in Afghanistan, how he was taken captive by insurgents and the risk comrades who searched for him faced.
His attorney, Eugene Fidell, urged the public not to draw a conclusion until hearing all the evidence. "People ought to keep an open mind," Fidell said in an interview.
The case may not have gotten this far if it were not for the young infantrymen who demanded that the nation's top political and military leaders hold Bergdahl accountable for his actions.
"If we would have kept our mouths shut it probably would have been swept under the rug," said Cody Full, a former platoon mate of Bergdahl's who is now out of the Army. "There would be a bronze statue of him somewhere."
Shortly after Bergdahl's release, national security adviser Susan Rice described his service as honorable.
Soldiers who served with him, however, see nothing honorable about being disloyal to buddies on the frontlines of battle by jeopardizing their safety, said Michael Barbero, a retired Army lieutenant general.
"The greatest value our young troopers hold dear is loyalty to each other," Barbero said. "It's a bond sacred to them."
That's particularly true for frontline infantry units. Bergdahl was part of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment that had established a platoon outpost in a remote section of eastern Afghanistan.
After his disappearance, the military pulled out all stops to recover him, sending out patrols and diverting drones and other resources to scour the area.
"That's putting people's lives at unnecessary risk," Buetow said.
By speaking out, soldiers like Buetow may have forced the military to take action that it might otherwise have avoided.
"I don't think the Army was that interested" in pursuing the case, said Stephen Karns, a former Army lawyer.
The case also puts the Army in an awkward position. The charges against Bergdahl carry a heavy penalty, yet he undoubtedly suffered during five years of Taliban captivity.
Bergdahl said he tried to escape a dozen times and was regularly chained and beaten, according to a statement his attorney released this year. His health also had deteriorated during captivity, according to the Pentagon.
Should he seek an agreement to plead guilty to a lesser charge, the military may have difficulty making a deal because of the controversy surrounding the case.
"The military system in that regard is a lot more political than the civilian (legal) system," Karns said.
In court documents, Fidell has argued that Bergdahl is the victim of a "Niagara of adverse publicity" and has been hamstrung in getting his side of the story out.
Fidell has sought permission from the Army to release an executive summary of the Army's investigation, conducted by Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl, and a transcript of Bergdahl's interrogation, but both remain under a court "protective order" preventing their dissemination.
Fidell argued in the court documents that comments on the Internet and in news media have made it "open season" on his client. "His immediate commander believes he is in physical danger," Fidell wrote.
Buetow, however, spoke about Bergdahl without animosity. He said Bergdahl was a conscientious, if introverted, soldier before he disappeared in June 2009.
"He wanted to learn more than any soldier I ever had," Buetow said.
He kept to himself and didn't drink alcohol, watch much television or socialize a lot with other soldiers, Buetow said. If he was somewhat quirky, Buetow attributed that to Bergdahl's rural Idaho upbringing.
Buetow said Bergdahl was discovered missing early one morning when a fellow soldier went to wake him up for a guard duty shift. Bergdahl had left behind his weapon, protective gear and other military equipment.
He had talked occasionally about wandering off to the mountains surrounding the camp, but teammates dismissed the comments as idle talk soldiers engaged in to pass the time.
To this day, Bergdahl's platoonmates remain puzzled about why he left.
"You don't walk away unless you plan to stay away," Buetow said. "It's a suicide mission."
He hopes legal proceedings might provide at least some answers.
"I want to hear him," Buetow said. "I want to know what he has to say."I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to plead guilty to desertion, misbehavior
By Bob Fredericks October 6, 2017 | 11:09am | Updated
Modal Trigger Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to plead guilty to desertion, misbehavior
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl arrives for a pretrial hearing at Fort Bragg in 2016.
Disgraced Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held prisoner by the Taliban for five years, is expected to plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
Bergdahl’s decision to admit his guilt rather than face trial marks another twist in a bizarre eight-year drama that caused the nation to wrestle with difficult questions of loyalty, negotiating with hostage takers and America’s commitment not to leave its troops behind.
President Trump has called Bergdahl a “no-good traitor” who “should have been executed.”
It’s unclear whether the Idaho native, 31, will be locked up or receive a lesser sentence that reflects the time the Taliban held him under brutal conditions.
He has said he was caged, kept in the dark, beaten and chained to a bed.
SEE ALSO
Bowe Bergdahl explains why he left his post in Afghanistan
Bowe Bergdahl explains why he left his post in Afghanistan
Bergdahl could face up to five years on the desertion charge and a life sentence for misbehavior.
Freed three years ago, Bergdahl had been scheduled for trial in late October.
He chose to let a judge rather than a military jury decide his fate, but a guilty plea later this month will spare the need for a trial.
Sentencing will start on Oct. 23, individuals with knowledge of the case told the Associated Press.
During sentencing, US troops who were seriously wounded searching for Bergdahl in Afghanistan are expected to testify, the sources said.
It was unclear whether prosecutors and Bergdahl’s defense team had reached any agreement ahead of sentencing about how severe a penalty prosecutors will recommend.
Bergdahl’s lawyer, Eugene Fidell, declined to comment on Friday. Maj. Justin Oshana, who is prosecuting the case, referred questions to the Army, which declined to discuss whether Bergdahl had agreed to plead guilty.
“We continue to maintain careful respect for the military-judicial process, the rights of the accused and ensuring the case’s fairness and impartiality during this ongoing legal case,” said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman.
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Private Bowe Bergdahl speaks in a video released by his captors in Afghanistan in 2009.Reuters
Bergdahl was a 23-year-old private first class in June 2009 when, after five months in Afghanistan, he disappeared from his remote infantry post near the Pakistan border, triggering a massive search operation.
Videos soon emerged showing Bergdahl in captivity by the Taliban, and the US kept tabs on him with drones, spies and satellites as behind-the-scenes negotiations played out in fits and starts.
In May 2014, he was handed over to US special forces in a swap for five Taliban detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison, fueling an emotional debate about whether Bergdahl was a hero or a deserter.
As critics questioned whether the trade was worth it, President Obama stood with Bergdahl’s parents in the White House Rose Garden and defended the swap.
The US does not “leave our men or women in uniform behind,” Obama said, regardless of how Bergdahl came to be captured.
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Jani Bergdahl and Bob Bergdahl speak at the White House with President Barack Obama in 2014.AP
Trump, as a presidential candidate, was unforgiving of Bergdahl, who has been assigned to desk duty at a Texas Army base pending the outcome of his case.
At campaign events, Trump declared that Bergdahl “would have been shot” in another era, even pantomiming the pulling of the trigger.
“We’re tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who’s a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed,” Trump said at a Las Vegas rally in 2015.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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I hope they give him the max on all charges."It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."Comment
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I don't know if you guys listened to the serial podcast that investigated this whole mess, but it's quite interesting. Based on what I view is a pretty thorough and well-rounded investigation, that guy is an idiot. Social moron of the highest order. I don't think he intended any of the things that came out of his desertion, but only a first class dolt would be so short sighted as to be unaware of the ramifications. They can keel haul him if they want to, but I'm convinced he's just too stupid/socially retarded to understand.Comment
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Even a PFC understands leaving the wire to walk across country to another base is a bad time. Leaving a gap in guard details, sending your gear home and he admitted that what he was doing was going to get him nailed and he knew it.Originally posted by BLAKE View Post
They need to rip those stripes and blue cord off of his ass.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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Definitely. He said he was trying to trigger a DUSTWUN to shine a light on shitty leadership. Worked out great for him.Originally posted by Forever_frost View PostComment
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Yep, don't use your chain of command or reach out to your Congressman. Trigger a manhunt that got people injured and killed. Fucking douche. Shoot him in the face. Then his parents.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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Just thing of how fucking low our taxes would be if it wasn't for shit like this.Originally posted by fordracing19 View Post
Then again this was under the dirty kenyan commie's watch, so I'm sure he just used it as an excuse to hurt america in any way he could. Like giving away 5 billion of our money and releasing terrorists. A win/win for such a man.WHComment
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X2Originally posted by Forever_frost View PostMagnus, I am your father. You need to ask your mother about a man named Calvin Klein.Comment
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Bergdahl pleads guilty to desertion, misbehavior
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told a military judge on Monday that he’s pleading guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
“I understand that leaving was against the law,” Bergdahl said.
“At the time, I had no intention of causing search and recovery operations,” Bergdahl added, saying that now he does understand that his decision to walk off his remote post in Afghanistan in 2009 prompted efforts to find him.
Bergdahl, 31, is charged with endangering his comrades by walking away from his post. Despite his plea, the prosecution and defense have not agreed to a stipulation of facts in the case, according to one of his lawyers, Maj. Oren Gleich, which is an indication that they did not reach a deal to limit his punishment.
The misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while the desertion charge is punishable by up to five years. He appears to be hoping for leniency from the judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance.
The guilty pleas bring the highly politicized saga closer to an end eight years after his disappearance in Afghanistan set off search missions by scores of his fellow service members. President Barack Obama was criticized by Republicans for the 2014 Taliban prisoner swap that brought Bergdahl home, while President Donald Trump harshly criticized Bergdahl on the campaign trail.
The serious wounds to service members who searched for Bergdahl are still expected to play a role in his sentencing. The guilty pleas allow him to avoid a trial, but he still faces a sentencing hearing that’s expected to start on Oct. 23. Bergdahl’s five years of captivity by the Taliban and its allies also will likely factor into what punishment he receives.
Bergdahl, who’s from Hailey, Idaho, previously chose to have his case heard by a judge alone, rather than a jury.
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Legal scholars have said that several pretrial rulings against the defense have given prosecutors leverage to pursue stiff punishment against Bergdahl. Perhaps most significant was the judge’s decision in June to allow evidence of serious wounds to service members who searched for Bergdahl at the sentencing phase. The judge ruled that a Navy SEAL and an Army National Guard sergeant wouldn’t have wound up in separate firefights that left them wounded if they hadn’t been searching for Bergdahl.
The defense also was rebuffed in an effort to prove President Donald Trump had unfairly swayed the case with scathing criticism of Bergdahl, including suggestions of harsh punishment. The judge wrote in a February ruling that Trump’s campaign-trail comments were “disturbing and disappointing” but did not constitute unlawful command influence by the soon-to-be commander in chief.
Defense attorneys have acknowledged that Bergdahl walked off his base without authorization. Bergdahl himself told a general during a preliminary investigation that he left intending to cause alarm and draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit. He was soon captured.
But the defense team has argued that Bergdahl can’t be held responsible for a long chain of events that included many decisions by others on how to conduct the searches.
The military probe of Bergdahl began soon after he was freed from captivity on May 31, 2014, in exchange for five Taliban prisoners. Facing Republican criticism, Obama noted that the U.S. doesn’t leave its service members behind.
Bergdahl has been assigned to desk duty at a Texas Army base while his case unfolds.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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