I don’t like it either, but he wasn’t convicted at the time and would be accruing pay and allowances. I imagine they’re deciding whether his desertion ended when he was captured, so that benefits would still accrue.
Colonel, USAFR (ret)
Well said. I wasn't JAG (Air Defense Arty), but as a Platoon Leader and Battery Cdr, I was involved in numerous UCMJ actions, both judicial and nonjudicial.
The prosecutors either ignored it as part of the plea deal, or they screwed up (and I don't believe that). I think the brass just wanted to end it. Hate to say it, but many of these officers were promoted multiple times under Obama as CinC.