http://www.central-view.com/default.aspCENTRAL VIEW for Monday, June 02, 2014
by William Hamilton, J.D., Ph.D.
Obama Celebrates Deserter Pride
Here is an e-mail from a soldierwho was on the scene when then Private Bowe Bergdahl "disappeared." This is the un-edited other side of the Bergdahl story:
"We were at OP Mest, Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It was a small outpost where B Co 1-501st INF (Airbone) ran operations out of, just
an Infantry platoon and ANA counterparts there. The place was an Afghan graveyard. Bergdahl had been acting a little strange, telling
people he wanted to ’walk the earth’le journal talking about how he was meant for better things. No one thought anything about it. He
was a little ’out there.’ Next morning he’s gone. We search everywhere, and can’t find him. He left his weapon, his kit, and other
sensitive items. He only took some water, a compass and a knife. We find some Afghan kids shortly after who saw an American walking
north asking about where the Taliban are. We get hits on our voice intercepter that Taliban has him, and we were close. We come to
realize that the kid deserted his post, snuck out of camp and sought out Taliban… to join them. We were in a defensive position at OP
Mest, where your focus is to keep people out. He knew where the blind spots were to slip out and that’s what he did. It was supposed
to be a 4-day mission but turned into several months of active searching. Everyone was spun up to find this guy. News outlets all over
the country were putting out false information. It was hard to see, especially when we knew the truth about what happened and 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 our unit who died looking for Bergdahl. Many others from various units were
wounded or killed while actively looking for Bergdahl. Fighting Increased. IEDs and enemy ambushes increased. The Taliban knew that we
were looking for him in high numbers and our movements were predictable. Because of Bergdahl, more men were out in danger, and more
attacks on friendly camps and positions were conducted while we were out looking for him. His actions impacted the region more than
anyone wants to admit. There is also no way to know what he told the Taliban: Our movements, locations, tactics, weak points on
vehicles and other things for the enemy to exploit are just a few possibilities. The Government knows full well that he deserted. It looks
bad and is a good propaganda piece for the Taliban. They refuse to acknowledge it. Hell they even promoted him to Sergeant which
makes me sick. I feel for his family who only want their son/brother back. They don’t know the truth, or refuse to acknowledge it as well.
What he did affected his family and his whole town back home, who don’t know the truth. Either way what matters is that good men
died because of him. He has been lying on all those Taliban videos about everything since his ’capture.’ If he ever returns, he should be
tried under the UCMJ for being a deserter and judged for what he did. Bergdahl is not a hero, he is not a soldier or an Infantryman. He
failed his brothers. Now, sons and daughters are growing up without their fathers who died for him and he will have to face that truth
someday."
