What should happen to Bo Bergdahl?

The caveat to your post and the highlighted "in time of war".
The Constitution is very specific in that to be in a state of war, Congress has to actually "declare war".
We have not been in a Declared War since WW-2. So any good Defense Team could probably win an appeal on a death sentence.

In a sense, the Army would be in violation of someone's Constitutional Rights by handing down a death penalty when a Congress had not seen fit to issue a formal Declaration of War. Originally Posted by Jackie S

Semantics. Vietnam and Korea weren't 'officially' wars either and I bet deserters got what was coming to them.

We traded five muslim terrorists for one muslim terrorist. Only the idiot fucking Obama could make sense out of a trade like that. Hussein is a buffoon.

We traded five muslim terrorists for one muslim terrorist. Only the idiot fucking Obama could make sense out of a trade like that. Hussein is a buffoon. Originally Posted by nwarounder

So you're saying that Bergdahl shouldn't face military justice? We should have let him get away with it?

So you're saying that Bergdahl shouldn't face military justice? We should have let him get away with it? Originally Posted by UnderConstruction

I'm saying we should have kept torturing the five muslim terrorists we had in gitmo, and droned Bergdahl, like we did the other muslim covert that betrayed us.

I'm saying we should have kept torturing the five muslim terrorists we had in gitmo, and droned Bergdahl, like we did the other muslim covert that betrayed us. Originally Posted by nwarounder

I hope you haven't multiplied...

They're already playing semantics. Bergdahl's lawyer has said "that they (the US Army) has no evidence that Bergdahl caused the deaths of those soldiers." Note the problems with that sentence. He did not say that there was no evidence but that the army did not have it. He is kind of admitting that there is evidence. He does also admit that soldiers died trying to rescue (which some people want to argue about) Bergdahl. And caused the deaths is different than responsible for the deaths. Leave it to lawyers.

I thought he exhibited the kind of character that would help him fit right in the halls of Congress.

Semantics. Vietnam and Korea weren't 'officially' wars either and I bet deserters got what was coming to them. Originally Posted by UnderConstruction

Has the U.S. fought an "official war" since WWII? And ... what's the point of differentiating between an "official war" and an "unofficial war"?

Or is there some "point" or "reason" to do so in YOUR "tiny, tiny mind"?

According to you if congress votes on it or not barleycornball.

According to you if congress votes on it or not barleycornball. Originally Posted by i'va biggen

Then it's Congress's War .... not the Presidents.

Which, BTW, is an excellent reason to have Congress vote on treaties.

Back to the OP/Poll...

Try him. If convicted, give him the maximum.

Then it's Congress's War .... not the Presidents.

Which, BTW, is an excellent reason to have Congress vote on treaties.

Back to the OP/Poll...

Try him. If convicted, give him the maximum. Originally Posted by LexusLover

Someone has to negotiate a treaty before congress to vote on it.

Back to the OP poll I did not vote .

My personal opinion is that the best course of action would be for the Military & Government to let this fade into the background again (which is where it was before the announcement of charges against him). Then quietly Court Martial him for Dereliction of Duty with a sentence of reduction in rank to E-1, forfeiture of all benefits & allowances and an Dishonorable Discharge. As far as any imprisonment goes, I'm pretty sure anything we would do to him would be a stay at a Luxury Resort compared to what he already received at the hands of the Taliban. Originally Posted by RochBob

+1

Didn't vote. This wasn't one of the options. BTW, regarding publicity: the more, the better.

We traded five muslim terrorists for one muslim terrorist. Only the idiot fucking Obama could make sense out of a trade like that. Hussein is a buffoon. Originally Posted by nwarounder

+1

I went with the third option even though it doesn't quite fit what I feel he should get. He was willing to sign up. Which is considerably more than some people are willing to do these days. Went through rigorous Training and accepted what would be considered a hazardous duty assignment. He made a stupid naïve mistake by leaving his Base unarmed. The only people that know exactly what the circumstances of his capture were are himself and the Taliban that performed the capture. He was held prisoner by them for 5 years and there is no indication he gave them any aid or assistance and he did try to escape several times. Yes, its unfortunate that other US solders were killed and injured looking for him. But you cannot forget that this was an active combat zone and some of those solders may have been hurt or killed in action anyway. My personal opinion is that the best course of action would be for the Military & Government to let this fade into the background again (which is where it was before the announcement of charges against him). Then quietly Court Martial him for Dereliction of Duty with a sentence of reduction in rank to E-1, forfeiture of all benefits & allowances and an Dishonorable Discharge. As far as any imprisonment goes, I'm pretty sure anything we would do to him would be a stay at a Luxury Resort compared to what he already received at the hands of the Taliban. Originally Posted by RochBob

I agree with you. Also he could probably always have a job with the Navy. I hear they will take anyone that can't cut it in the Army.

I thought he exhibited the kind of character that would help him fit right in the halls of Congress. Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

what is a "shocker"?

is it something like this?

As a veteran of the US Navy that has not been my experience. Yes, we had former soldiers, airman, and marines in our ranks but they were either hard chargers or assholes (there is a very fine line between the two). We had so many former ground pounders in one fireroom that the division head joked that during GQ he was afraid that they would all be in the bilge digging foxholes. Which kind of is the fundamental difference between the navy and the other services; we have to rely on each other. We don't just lose a foxhole or a squad if someone walks away from his job while on duty. We can lose a ship.

I can't help but notice that you are comparing a deserter to a sailor....care to retract that?