Bergdahl to be charged with desertion

[John -- '02 HAWK]

Do yall think the military will start and end the trial on the presidential election year to give the DoD lovin repubs a greater push?

[LANTIRN]

Do yall think the military will start and end the trial on the presidential election year to give the DoD lovin repubs a greater push?

Doubtful. Obama cleaned house already and kicked out all the upper brass that did not swing far enough left. Normally my answer would be that the administration would have no effect or even concern on when a court martial takes place, but I know better than that anymore.

[Forever_frost]

Whole thing seems a little weird... like he might actually have been mentally ill or something. He just wandered off the base and out into the desert and just decided to freakin live there for awhile? Something ain't right with the guy

He wrote out a dissertation on how he wanted to walk off and be with the people. Interesting read from a traitor's mind.

Also, a rear admiral said they haven't decided yet

[Sgt Beavis]

If he is found guilty. I mean he sounds guilty, but remember he has not been proven guilty yet in a court martial.

I would have to disagree with you. The President is dealing with the court of public opinion. If Bergdahl is indicted, that alone will be the egg to the proverbial face.

[Dlachance]

I would have to disagree with you. The President is dealing with the court of public opinion. If Bergdahl is indicted, that alone will be the egg to the proverbial face.

Excellence.

[BP]

Doubtful. Obama cleaned house already and kicked out all the upper brass that did not swing far enough left. Normally my answer would be that the administration would have no effect or even concern on when a court martial takes place, but I know better than that anymore.

He has fired a ton of brass but keep in mind that just about every general in the military signed up during the Reagan era. There aren't very many Wesley Clarks in today's military. It's kind of like if Ted Cruz took over as the mayor of San Francisco, sure he's extremely conservative but even if he went scorched earth and canned everyone he'd have to replace them with liberals since there aren't any conservatives in the government there.

[Forever_frost]

Bowe Bergdahl will face court-martial for desertion
By Charles Hoskinson (@cehoskinson) • 12/14/15 2:22 PM


Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will stand trial by court-martial for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, his lawyer said Monday, in connection with his actions that caused him to fall into the hands of the Taliban as a prisoner of war for five years.

In a statement, Eugene Fidell, Bergdahl's civilian lawyer, expressed his disappointment that Army officials had referred him for trial by a general court-martial, overturning the recommendation in October by a hearing officer that the case be handled by special court-martial, a procedure that could have resulted in lesser punishment if he was convicted.

"The charges against Sgt. Bergdahl have today been referred for trial by a general court-martial," Fidell said. "The convening authority did not follow the advice of the preliminary hearing officer who heard the witnesses."

Army Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the Army's Forces Command, was tasked with reviewing the hearing officer's report and deciding whether Bergdahl would stand trial. He has the power under military law to disregard the recommendation.

Bergdahl walked off his remote forward operating base in Afghanistan in June 2009 and within hours fell into the hands of the Taliban. He told Army investigators he intended to walk to another base to air his concerns about conditions in his unit.

He was released in May 2014 after being traded for five Taliban leaders held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The House Armed Services Committee, in a report released Thursday, declared that the Obama administration broke the law and misled Congress in the swap.

Bergdahl's status as the only prisoner of war of the Afghan conflict, along with controversies over his actions and the circumstances of his release, have made his case the object of fierce public debate, and his lawyers have waged a months-long battle to protect his name, including unsuccessfully going to court to force the Army to release its investigative materials.

Fidell has been particularly critical of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, asking Monday that he "cease his prejudicial months-long campaign of defamation against our client.

"We also ask that the House and Senate Armed Services Committees avoid any further statements or actions that prejudice our client's right to a fair trial," Fidell said.

[4bangen]

hang him

[Grimpala]

Seems like he's more of a traitor than a deserter. How many other POW's have been released vs. how many have been publically executed?

A lot seems fishy with his whole ordeal.

[helosailor]

He is complicit in the injuries and/or deaths of any person that searched for him or as a result of the terrorists that were released in trade for him.
Expedited death penalty is the only reasonable outcome.

[BP]

How many other POW's have been released vs. how many have been publically executed?

He was the only POW that we admit knowing about so he's the only one that's been released. As far as publicly executed American soldiers I can't think of any. There was apparently a video of Sgt. Donald Waters being executed but he was never positively ID'd.

[Gasser64]

With the kenyan in chief at the helm, good luck. He'll probably do whatever he can to get him off.

[Tremor14]

you really think so?

[BP]

A POTUS can't pardon or commute any kind of court martial sentence until at least 5 years after a conviction and even then it has to go through the proper channels. It's almost as if the laws were written specifically to stop a president from interfering.

[helosailor]

A POTUS can't pardon or commute any kind of court martial sentence until at least 5 years after a conviction and even then it has to go through the proper channels. It's almost as if the laws were written specifically to stop a president from interfering.

Nothing to stop a "Make it go this way, or your career is over" message from being sent down the chain-of-command though.