Keep Your Mouths Shut Soldiers…

The people who served with Bowe Bergdahl knew he deserted. The Pentagon knew he deserted and Obama probably knew it (he does watch the news…) so why would soldiers be told to keep quiet about it?

A soldier claims that he was told by his chain of command to not say anything about Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walking off an Afghan base in 2009.

Retired Army Spc. Josh Fuller told Fox News Wednesday that he was told to keep quiet about Bergdahl leaving his post and getting captured by the Taliban. CBS DC

Perhaps it was commanders trying to keep the lid on poor morale in their unit (a speculation, I do not know what their morale was), or perhaps they did not want a black mark on their records. But the Pentagon never listed Bergdahl as a POW and since the Pentagon HAD to know he was missing it is unlikely that anyone thought he was anything other than a deserter.

I don’t know why soldiers would be told not to talk about it but that is a curious thing. It was widely known among the soldiers involved so it is not like they were keeping secrets from each other and America knew he was missing so that was not a secret.

So why tell people to keep quiet?

Fortunately, many of those who were given these orders are no longer serving and they are breaking their silence. Their voices add reality to the story and prevent the Obama regime from getting away with more lies.

Susan Rice said Bergdahl served with honor and distinction and perhaps she is on to something. Betraying America is honorable to liberals so in her mind Bergdahl is a hero.

When (if) this ever gets investigated I would like that investigation to extend to finding out who gave the keep quiet order and why.

That would be interesting to discover…

Death before dishonor.

If you can’t live by that then don’t serve.

With Honor And Distinction?

SGT Bowe Bergdahl is back in US control and I am happy for him and for his family because he is home. He is an American citizen and it is good for him and his family that he is back.

However, Bergdahl is not a hero and he is not a Prisoner of War who happened to be repatriated. He deserted the military when he walked (or rode) out of the compound and into the wilderness. He was not captured while on a mission or on guard duty or even out on an authorized absence. He was captured because he left his unit without any intention of returning and he was captured by the Taliban.

Of this there is no doubt.

Sometime after midnight on June 30, 2009, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life. He slipped off the remote military outpost in Paktika Province on the border with Pakistan and took with him a soft backpack, water, knives, a notebook and writing materials, but left behind his body armor and weapons — startling, given the hostile environment around his outpost. New York Times

Members of our military had to stop their missions to look for this guy and some of those brave troops died while doing so. The Pentagon and the political hacks can say otherwise but the people who had their boots on the ground are saying something different and they, above all others, know what went on.

Bergdahl is in a military hospital recovering from his ordeal, an ordeal of his own making, and will soon be reunited with his family. He needs time to heal. He needs time to acclimate and he needs time with his family.

Then he needs to be held accountable for what he did. The military must investigate what he did and must be honest with the citizens of this nation, particularly those who serve and who have served, about the circumstances. If he is found to be a deserter, and there is a lot of evidence to show just that, then he needs to be punished. Yes, he was held captive for five years but that was because of what HE did.

[note]Military members know we are not bargaining chips and that we will not be negotiated free. Troops will try to rescue us but we will not be the objects of negotiations. That is just part of the package. But Obama played it differently in order to put the VA scandal on the back burner. He thought he would be hailed as a wonderful guy for getting a deserter back but most are not looking at it this way. He has left a Marine to rot in a Mexican prison while negotiating with terrorists over a deserter. One last thing. The Taliban murder captured soldiers. Why is Bergdahl alive?[/note]

All levels of government in this nation routinely hold people accountable for things they have done even though they have suffered hardship as a result of their own acts. If you rob a bank and run into traffic and get hit by a car ending up in a coma for six months they don’t say you had a hard enough time and let you go.

Bergdahl took a decision to walk away from his unit and he was captured because of that. Now that he is home he needs to be held accountable here for what he did.

He cost us a lot. Barack Obama negotiated with terrorists for his release and circumvented Congress to get it done. Obama broke the law to get Bergdahl back and in the process made it an even more dangerous place for us and particularly for our troops who will now be seen as bargaining chips.

Obama needed to put the VA scandal out of the news so he quickly acted on this deal (that has been in the works for some time) claiming that Bergdahl’s health was in question. Susan Rice said it so it must be true. This is the lie used to break the law and bypass Congress. The truth is this was politically motivated to refocus our attention from yet another Obama scandal (he learned well from Bill Clinton). I am surprised Rice did not just blame it all on a You Tube video.

Time will tell if the Pentagon has the testicular fortitude to do what is necessary to hold Bergdahl accountable. I would not hold my breath as the Pentagon has been turned into a paper tiger under Obama. It must be politically correct in order to serve its master. Given Obama’s love of the Muslim faith and given the Bergdahl family seems to be sympathetic to it, it is doubtful Obama will want to pursue any action against the deserter.

Many folks are angry at what Bergdahl did and at what Obama did to get him released. Going into a midterm election this will not sit well with voters. Obama won’t have to worry about the active duty folks because he will lose their ballots but millions of veterans will go to the polls.

Politics aside, Bergdahl must be given ample time to recover and then he MUST be held accountable.

He dishonored himself, his unit, the military and the nation (no wonder Obama negotiated for him) and he is a disgrace to the uniform he wears.

Susan Rice can say he served with honor and distinction but that does not make it so. The honorable are those who stayed and did their jobs in the face of danger.

As well as those who risked (or lost) their lives trying to rescue the man who turned his back on them and his nation.

Related:
McClatchy DC
I J Review

Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
Big Dog

Gunline

Soldier Dishonors Self And Service

A young soldier at Fort Carson took a photo of herself hiding in her car during the time honors are rendered to the Flag (during Retreat) and indicated that she was hiding to avoid saluting the Flag. She indicated that those who felt what she was doing was disrespectful could keep their comments to themselves.

Well that is not going to happen. This young lady is a PFC (Private First Class) and is not entitled to tell this First Sergeant to keep anything to himself and she should kneel down and thank whatever God she worships that I am not her First Sergeant or I would have her scrubbing latrines with a toothbrush until her hands fell off.

Rendering honors to the Flag is NOT an option. To deliberately not render the proper honors is disrespectful to the Army and to the nation. It is also disrespectful to the men and women who have served this nation under the Flag. In fact, this action by Private Dipstick is a violation of Army Regulation 600-25 (Appendix C) which describes what soldiers in uniform are REQUIRED to do when the Flag is raised or lowered.

She violated an Army Regulation and now that she published her violation and admitted it was willful her commander should give her an Article 15 and bust her all the way down to Private E-1. He should take a portion of her pay and give her restriction and extra duty as part of her Article 15 punishment.

Too harsh? I think not. She went through Basic Training and learned the proper way to act when honors to the Flag are required. This is not a simple mistake or a case where she did not know because she openly admits she is hiding so she can avoid doing her duty.

She is derelict and should be punished for it.

A harsh punishment will remind her of her oath and her obligation to fulfill her soldierly duties in a professional manner.

It will also send a strong message to others like her who might be inclined to dishonor their country and the Flag that flies over her.

Far too many people better than she have fought and died to preserve what that Flag represents.

Now PFC dipstick, if you have an issue with me not keeping it to myself feel free to stand at Parade Rest until I give you permission to speak.

Belay that. Drop and give me 100.

Sources:
The Black Sphere
Army Times

Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
Big Dog

Gunline