Bergdahl court-martial a waste of time, money: #tellusatoday
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who is charged with walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, will face the highest level of military court-martial, the Army said this week. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was imprisoned by the enemy nearly five years. I think he has gotten his punishment, and people need to move on. I have seen the military fall through on promises. It’s a two-way street. Who knows why he walked off post — post-traumatic stress disorder? There should not be a court-martial. The military has more important issues to be worrying about.
— Sharon Shelton Gaught
As a military retiree, I think the president made a grave mistake getting Bergdahl back. He should have left him for dead.
However, to try him now is a waste of time and money. Bergdahl should be discharged dishonorably and prevented from receiving benefits.
— Larry Lesh
Facing a court-martial is the right decision. His actions placed fellow soldiers in jeopardy. Let him spend the rest of his life in military prison. I have no sympathy for a traitor.
As far as people saying he paid for his decision while being held captive for five years, that was a natural consequence of a choice he made.
— Kim Drury
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Though I’ve never been in Bergdahl’s shoes, attempting to address leadership concerns by deserting your post and putting fellow soldiers at even more risk just doesn’t make sense.
— Chris Behan
This guy sounds deluded. But does he deserve life imprisonment, as some people are calling for? Five years of torture and imprisonment under the Taliban are punishment enough. He needs mental health attention, not a lifetime in jail.
— Bob Rousseau
Bergdahl’s reported behavior and complaints before he walked off the base make it clear he no longer felt loyalty to his fellow soldiers. The letters he wrote home showed that his dislike for the U.S. military was based on his religious beliefs.
His history before entering the military is just as flaky.
— Tony Mathis
We asked our followers what they thought of the Bowe Bergdahl case. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:
After all is said and done, the result will be dishonorable discharge and five years served at the hands of the Taliban.
— @GHFerdinand
If you join the U.S. armed forces, you take an oath. You obey orders. Bowe Bergdahl disobeyed.
— @PrayerPeace
I’d like to hear more about why he left his company that day. There should be a full investigation into that.
— @HazelCostner
For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday.