Report: Bowe Bergdahl to be tried for desertion.

Oh, dear.

So it is apparently now the official position of the US military that the US government went out and traded five terrorists for a deserter. I’d almost – almost – be close to maybe understanding it if we were at least planning to hang the guy afterward, but let’s be realistic.  Bowe Bergdahl, even if convicted for desertion, will not be executed for it. He’d probably spend a lot of time in jail, but he’d be unlikely to be hung, shot, or given the needle.

Three things about this story I want to specifically address:

  1. There’s already been reports that at least one of the freed terrorists has been trying to get back into the kill-and-oppress-innocent-civilians business.
  2. Lots of critics of this administration told you that the Obama administration’s original spin on this story was pernicious nonsense.  And, as is drearily usual, critics of this administration turned out to be right.
  3. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R, New Hampshire) probably feels fairly vindicated right now, given that she’s been banging the drum on just how badly the administration messed this entire situation up.

Moral of the story: look, if you’re a Democrat, stop trusting this administration to get its story straight. Or to show basic competence. Or to do anything except count the days until January of 2017, really. It’ll just save you heartache in the long run*.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*I don’t actually care if the Democrats take that advice, or not. I get brownie points for honesty either way.

10 thoughts on “Report: Bowe Bergdahl to be tried for desertion.”

  1. And then there are the reports that the administration has been pressuring the Bergdahl lawyers to take a plea bargain, so there’s no trial going on in the news when those terrorists are released in May.

    1. Given that six Soldiers were killed while looking for that cretin, it may be very tough for him to do a plea bargain. And I doubt that he’s going to keep that rank or his back pay either.

  2. I am fine with Bergdahl spending the rest of his life behind bars. Think of the irony.
    .
    He’ll also burn in Hell anyway, in a special made bottomless pit, for the lives lost trying to get him back.

  3. Speaking as a former ground pounder, I want to see him hang.
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    I can understand that the vast majority of civilians probably don’t care much.
    But it’s interesting to watch the epistemic closure on the left. They evidently can’t even conceive that desertion is something more than a youthful indiscretion.

  4. Bergdahl didn’t just desert, he deserted in the face of the enemy. He commited misconduct in the face of the enemy. These are serious charges that go to the heart of “good order and discipline in the Armed Forces.” The reason that these are potentially capital offenses is the damage that they do to unit cohesion, morale and obedience to potentially life endangering orders in a combat zone. He must be punished, and punished harshly, to encourage others to do their duty. Military law recognizes that Good Order and Discipline are at least as important as justice. As a former judge advocate and professional military man, I believe his conduct warrants death.

    1. Unfortunately that does not appear to be in play here. From the press release by the army:
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      “Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, “Desertion with Intent to Shirk Important or Hazardous Duty,” carries a maximum potential punishment of a dishonorable discharge, reduction to the rank of E-1, total forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and maximum confinement of five years. Article 99 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, “Misbehavior Before The Enemy by Endangering the Safety of a
      Command, Unit or Place,” carries a maximum potential penalty of dishonorable discharge, reduction to the rank of E-1, total forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and possible confinement for life.”

  5. Liberals will still hail him as a hero, Obama will pardon him in two years, and life will go on in Obamamerica.

    1. Obama won’t be in office in two years. If he pardons him, I’d expect some of Bergdahl’s former platoon mates will take justice into their own hands.
      I doubt he’ll pardon him.

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