So you think anyone who wants to desert the Army, should just be able to take off, and the Army shouldn’t even bother to go back to him?
Did I say anything like that?
People died looking for him. That’s what I said. That should figure in at his trial.
I do know that after 2010 when they Army itself had determined he went AWOL, when they considered SF missions to go in and get him becuase they knew pretty much where he was, the SF refused because they figured they would lose more people and it was not worth it.
I am glad he is back if they will put him through the Artcile 32, the court martial, and bring him to account for what he did.
So, right after he went missing, of course they were going to try and find him. But when it became clear how costly that was becoming, particularly because they pretty much knew he had deserted, they slacked up on it. Then when they determined for usre he was AWOL, the were very careful about losing more people over it. But of course they wanted him back.
I still feel the price...with the five animals they gave up...was far too high. Better to have waited until they could nab him at far less risk.,..even if that took a few more years.