After all the back and forth I've hear on whether the swap was or wasn't a good idea, I'm convinced Obama made the right decision in securing Bergdahl's release. I even had a guy in my unit who'd previously been apart of the missions to secure Bergdahl, in which several soldiers where killed. This guy told me the same as the stories that civilians are just becoming privy too. "He walked off the base on his own will." And this I believe is true. Still, it shouldn't mean he's left overseas. Justice is ours to serve, and to all the families of the killed soldiers, I feel some justice is warranted. But the case is troubled by a question that Bergdahl's desertion raises, which is, to what extent is a soldier allowed to act on their conscious during war, if that act puts their fellow soldiers at risk?
In our military, like most, there are avenues to express frustration; however, there are chances you’ll take for doing so. You may be dismissed, ostracized, or even assigned a demeaning duty. Lower enlisted are expected to do as their superiors order and for good reason: erode the chain of command's integrity and you can put people's lives on the line. Whether or not the chain of command was reputable to begin with has not been made clear.
Personally, I believe the overall mission in Afghaistan had merits, through my service until now, and beside you fight for the guy beside you. The creeds are unchanging. If Bergdahl couldn't adapt to military values, then he should have admitted as much. And while this may have meant a discharge for failure to adapt, that is the hard right, not abandoning his post. That said, I'm sure the Taliban treated him poorly and his families been through a lot, so justice shouldn't be severe.
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