Bowe Bergdahl: Fellow Soldiers Call Him 'Deserter'

I think Obama wanted to exploit the release of Bowe Bergdahl as a means to distract from his inexcusable lack of accountability in his VA scandal and his shocking weakness on the world stage.

I think Obama was hoping his alleged success in brokering a prisoner swap would help members of the military cozy up to their commander-in-chief. It would help him be seen as pro-military and a strong leader.

That hasn't happened.

In fact, Obama comes off worse than ever as a leader.

A problem for Obama: Bowe Bergdahl has a lot of baggage, anti-American baggage, deserter baggage.

His brothers in arms want to set the Bowe Bergdahl record straight.

From Jake Tapper, CNN:

The sense of pride expressed by officials of the Obama administration at the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is not shared by many of those who served with him -- veterans and soldiers who call him a deserter whose "selfish act" ended up costing the lives of better men.

"I was pissed off then and I am even more so now with everything going on," said former Sergeant Matt Vierkant, a member of Bergdahl's platoon when he went missing on June 30, 2009. "Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him."

Vierkant said Bergdahl needs to not only acknowledge his actions publicly but face a military trial for desertion under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

...According to first-hand accounts from soldiers in his platoon, Bergdahl, while on guard duty, shed his weapons and walked off the observation post with nothing more than a compass, a knife, water, a digital camera, and a diary.

At least six soldiers were killed in subsequent searches for Bergdahl, and many soldiers in his platoon said attacks seemed to increase against the United States in Paktika Provice in the days and weeks following his disappearance.

Many of Bergdahl's fellow troops -- from the seven or so who knew him best in his squad, to the larger group that comprised the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division -- told CNN that they signed nondisclosure agreements agreeing to never share any information about Bergdahl's disappearance and the efforts to recapture him. Some were willing to dismiss that document in hopes that the truth would come out about a soldier who they now fear is being hailed as a hero, while the men who lost their lives looking for him are ignored.

Many are flocking to social media, such as the Facebook page "Bowe Bergdahl is NOT a hero," where they share stories detailing their resentment. A number of comments on his battalion's Facebook page prompted the moderator to ask for more respect to be shown.

This information certainly makes the release of Bergdahl a bit messy.

An American no longer imprisoned by the Taliban is a good thing, but it's hard to hail Bergdahl as a hero.

Soldiers lost their lives searching for a deserter. Those men are the heroes. They DIED because of what Bergdahl did.

What are their names? We haven't seen the parents of those dead soldiers standing with Obama at a news conference or yapping to the media.

Yes, it's very difficult to celebrate the prisoner swap that freed Bergdahl.