I have been asked why I so strongly support SGT Bowe Bergdahl, in my posts, particularly in the face of the things now being said about him. Well, its complicated. His platoon members are making some pretty strong assertions which, if true, are enough to make one wonder, well, why would he do that? The strongest report I heard was that he left his weapon, helmet, and flak jacket, and just walked away and that he had been talking about just walking away to China. Im more inclined to believe in combat fatigue, which caused him to just leave all that stuff and wander away, possibly in an act of suicide by Taliban. I have seen men so terrified and confused that, had I not been there to put my face in theirs, screaming at them, they might well have just cowered down and waited for The bullet to find them. I, myself, was once so terrified during a prolonged 122 mm-rocket attack, I sank down in a corner of the map room in which I was working, I just cowered there for a full minute before I could function. Everyone has heard the expression, the fog of war. I realize the term is most often used in reference to the totality of war, but there is a much smaller disorientation which appears when you are suddenly under attack, perhaps not knowing where it is coming from, almost certainly including deafening noise, possibly explosions and flame, possibly being splattered with blood or internal body matter - your own or someone elses - maybe a friends. Fear overwhelms all your other senses. Hopefully, you direct that fear into appropriate action, but I have seen men sink into a funk from which they may not emerge. Todays troops endure multiple deployments. I myself did so, but only because I eagerly volunteered for them. These men and women today have no idea how many times they will go, and many, many of them are National Guard personnel, who didnt intend to be full-time military. I admire them more than I can express. Did he desert? I dont know, nor do you. Did he cause his mates to go into harms way, looking for him? Probably. Will we find out? Probably, in time. Its too early to know, just now. Should we have done whatever it took to bring him home? Absolutely. His mates may label him coward, possibly justifiably. These are things for a Board of Review. Meanwhile, I dont know that I could have handled what he ultimately faced anymore than do you. Im sure we would never have known for sure, had we not got him back. For now, God bless him. Get off his back for now.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 00:03:47 +0000
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