The Curious Release Of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an American POW, was turned over by the Taliban after five years in captivity in exchange for five notorious Islamic militants who had been held at Guantánamo Bay.

The search for Bergdahl began soon after he went missing on June 30, 2009. Various news outlets have been putting out false information regarding this story. Why?

In the weeks before his “capture,” Bergdahl had made statements suggesting he was gravitating away from the army and towards desertion.

He had been acting strange, telling people in his unit he wanted to “walk the earth,” and kept a journal writing about how he was meant for better things. No one thought anything about it. He was considered a little “out there”.

He detailed his disillusionment in an email to his parents three days before he went missing. “I am sorry for everything here,” he wrote, “these people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them they are nothing and they are stupid.”

In another email he wrote, ” I am ashamed to be an American. And the title of US soldier is just the lie of fools,” he concluded, ” I am sorry for everything. The horror that is America is disgusting.”

Later he took some water, a compass and a knife, left his weapon, and departed. Later that day, a drone and four fighter jets began to search for him.
Weeks of searching turned into months. The military pushed his parents and fellow soldiers to sign non-disclosure agreements. The US government knew full well that he had deserted.

There is no way to know what he told the Taliban. The truth is we lost good men trying to find him. PFC Matthew Michael Martinek, Staff Sgt. Kurt Robert Curtiss, SSG Clayton Bowen,PFC Morris Walker, SSG Michael Murphrey, 2LT Darryn Andrews were all KIA from his unit.

Sgt. Bergdahl should be tried under UCMJ for being a deserter and judged for what he did. Bergdahl is not a hero, he is not a soldier. He failed his brothers. Now sons and daughters are growing up without fathers who died because of him and he will have to face the truth someday.