Posted on 03/26/2015 4:14:49 AM PDT by Biggirl
U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl has been charged with desertion for leaving his unit in Afghanistan and joining up with the Taliban. It’s about time. After months of stonewalling as the evidence that Bergdahl was a deserter mounted ever higher, U.S. officials could ignore it no longer.
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...
HE skates ?
The targets should be those that enable the cult leader, they are the weak links. But conservatives per usual will give those enablers a pass and waste another opportunity.
I noticed the media deliberately chose not to tell us that he converted to the ROP.
That explains it all.
This is “old news” and will not be covered by the MSM. Nothing to see here. Move along.
During my twenty-year USMC career I was detailed as a Summary Court-martial Officer twice and was empaneled for two Special Courts-martial of which one I was President of the panel of officers.
I just want to say “every dog has his day in court.” That includes Bergdahl. He has a right to a fair trial which will be preceded by a UCMJ Article 32 Hearing (”Grand Jury”) to find if the Charges are triable.
I pray for wisdom on the Commanding General who will, no doubt, prefer charges; that he do this correctly without any “undue Command influence” as I have seen before. The government case can really get messed up.
I have no love nor hate for Bergdahl but he’ll have his day in court... “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.’
You served on a Courts Martial- is it true that if you’re innocent, you want to be tried by a Military tribunal, but it you’re guilty you’d rather be tried by civilian courts?
Good to hear from someone who knows what he is talking about and is willing to share. We used to have a lot more of that around here. Also, always good to see someone from the Marine family. (My son is currently on board at Pensacola for Flight School)
The media tries to ignore parts of stories that go against the narrative.
Thank you for your insightful post. And the warning about ‘command influence.’
The decision to charge Bergdahl had to be signed off all the way up the chain of command. I find it amazing that the brass would go against the wishes of the administration. Some high ranking officer put duty above personal career.
I hope the Army places him in pretrial confinement. He’s been known to walk away before.
I want to know why no Art 32 investigation has not already been done? Where are these charges coming from enough to go forward in the process has not even started!!! This has Obama’s finger prints all over it.
Mutt - In a sense, you are correct. My experience is that Trials by Courts-marital are very fair. Also, one does not “get Court-martialed,” one receives a “Trial by Court-martial.”
If a military member truly believes he or she is innocent of the Charges, take a court. If one has actually committed the offense, yes, one might fair better with civilians (for cases which may have occurred off-base) as empaneled members of a military court, “Jury,” will usually go with the instructions of the judge on limits of punishment... Unless there are some “mitigating or extenuating” circumstances.
The empaneled Officers have the senior officer as the President of the Court-martial Panel. If the Accused is an Enlisted member, he or she may request that the panel be comprised of two-thirds Enlisted Panel members. They may also go “Judge Alone.”
Yes, as soon as the Commanding General “preferred Charges,” Bergdahl should have been put in Pretrial Confinement... the guy’s a flight risk, in my opinion also.
Seems to me we should focus the discussion on the 5 terrorist Taliban and the $5 billion to Qatar, too.
Media - Since the Charges are very serious, Bergdahl will be Tried at a General Court-martial and those charges must be signed off on, or “preferred” by his Commanding General.
It should be obvious, even to the casual observer that Bergdahl’s alleged violations of the UCMJ merit the Charges.,
Armydawg - Good question.
I’m sure the process has taken so long because of possible influence or interference from on high.
Process: Once Bergdahl took his walk there would have been something of an OpRep-3 or Serious Incident Report out to the G-3 in country. Also, I recall the Army did another report or investigation.
I believe all the information in those reports will be used to generate the info needed for the Article 32 Hearing which will be presented a Trial JAG.
If the information is sufficient to make the Charges “stick,” Bergdahl will go to Court.
You can bet that as soon as it became clear he was missing, a SitRep or whatever it is called now went all the way to DA and DoD. Someone had to order the troops out to find him and all the intell assets in that area were worked as well to get any leads. American soldiers began dying to find this turd and no amount of investigations or sunny rose garden posing will bring them back or heal their families.
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