Among military community members, I can’t think of another name that causes such a passionate discussion as the name Bowe Bergdahl.
Remember Bergdahl?
Army Sgt. Robert “Bowe” Bergdahl disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in June 2009. He was held in captivity by the Taliban for 5 years. He was released in May 2014 in a controversial exchange of 5 Taliban detainees.
I remember following the media coverage of Bergdahl’s release closely. I remember hearing the news reports that a POW was coming home. I remember reading that he wasn’t a POW, he was a traitor — a soldier who “walked off” his post in Afghanistan. Then he wasn’t facing charges… no, wait, he was facing charges. And then, frankly, I forgot about him.
Until Serial.
Serial is a podcast that I was late to the game to start listening to. When a friend told me about it, she said “wow, Michelle, CNN did a story about it. I thought everyone knew about Serial.” With her recommendation I subscribed and started listening during my daily 3-mile walks. I was hooked.
Here’s how Serial describes itself:
Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial tells one story—a true story—over the course of a season. Each season, we follow a plot and characters wherever they take us. We won’t know what happens at the end until we get there, not long before you get there with us. Each week we bring you the next chapter in the story, so it’s important to listen to the episodes in order.
In my opinion Serial goes deeper than any other news source and is told like a documentary. But instead of showing one person’s view of a news event, this podcast shows you the story from the perspectives of many people directly and indirectly related to that story.
When the creators of Serial announced that Bergdahl and his trial would be the focus on Season 2, I honestly hesitated.
Did I want to hear what Bergdahl had to say?
I started listening for one reason: I wanted to know why and how Bergdahl left his post in Afghanistan. Mainly how. How does a soldier leave the Mest-Malak combat outpost in Paktika Province? How is that even possible?
Many of my military friends won’t even consider listening. They’ve made up their minds about Bergdahl (he’s guilty of desertion) and they don’t want to know anything else about him. Plus the search for Bergdahl after he was captured by the Taliban put a lot of soldiers’ lives in danger.
But here are 3 reasons why you may want to consider listening to Serial Season 2.
Are you listening to the Serial podcast about Bowe Bergdahl?
This podcast is about more than Bergdahl.
When you listen to this podcast, you do hear from Bergdahl. But you also listen to an interview with a journalist who was held by the Taliban and how he was treated. This podcast offers a complex perspective of the ongoing war in this part of the world that looks beyond the surface of terrorism. It looks at our foreign policies. It looks at the sacrifices that soldiers make to “leave no man behind.”
This podcast is produced for the 99 percent.
When you listen to this podcast you listen to a story about the Army, its operations and its purpose in Afghanistan from a civilian for a civilian audience. There are a lot of things I don’t know or understand about the Army. But when I listen to this podcast, I hear Koenig explaining what seems like such basic military information and I think “wow, the general public really doesn’t know anything about the military.”
For example, Koenig interviews soldiers who served with Bergdahl and they will explain how awful their working conditions were on deployment. I hear her prod them with questions about their food, the toilets (or lack there of) and sleeping conditions. I think “obviously they were on a deployment in Afghanistan.” But unless you have a close family member serving in the Armed Forces, you wouldn’t know those details not shown in 30-second news segments. This podcast is produced for civilians – not the military.
This podcast shows you that the Bergdahl case is complex.
Emotionally many Americans are very frustrated with Bergdahl’s actions, but as the podcast points out, the general who investigated these same actions testified that jail time for Bergdahl would be “inappropriate” and said he did not find “any evidence to corroborate the reporting that Bergdahl was … sympathetic to the Taliban.”
After listening to 4 episodes of Serial, I’m not sure how I feel about Bergahl. Wait, I take that back. I know I feel about Bergdahl as a person. But how did I feel about him and his court-martial scheduled to begin in August 2016?
I’m not sure. So until I make up my mind, I’ll just keep listening to Serial. You should too.
I don’t think he willingly left his post in Afghanistan. By doing that he had to have realized that he would have no safe place to go. I think he was abducted by the Taliban. They should not be court martialing him. The Army needs to just release and discharge him and use their resources towards better things than a man whose captivity occurred under mysterious circumstances. If the court martial goes ahead then future POWS will fear being returned to the military and may not try and escape captivity. Their fear will be of being court martialed too. They will feel that if Bergdahl was court martialed they could be too.
If you truly believe what you wrote I have to wonder where your head is. Abducted my ass
I was there. He voluntarily left his post and deserted. Men were killed and wounded looking for him. Don’t believe all this BS
I would likely agree with you if it wasn’t for the fact that he mailed all his personal items home left his weapon and military gear on his bunk then left the compound. This right here tells me he had planned to go. As a result I believe he deserves whatever punishment they give him. Hopefully it will be life without parole in the Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks reduced to the lowest rank and forfeiture of all pay and allowances and then take back all his pay he was given upon return to the Military.
A Court-Martial is the least of Bergdahl’s concerns. I have no compassion for ANYONE (especially Bergdahl) who leaves their unit and comrades during war (regardless what you may personally feel about the war). His actions warrant life in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas at a minimum and hanging at best. What makes Bergdahl’s actions worse is the exchange of prisoners by “President” Obama, whom himself should be convicted for directing the exchange.
Agree, he never claimed to have been kidnapped. He just left his comrades and that is what got him caught by the bad guys. If you can’t depend on the person on your left and on your right to do their job, who can you trust? How many times have we heard this? Why do we hear it? Because it’s the truth. And you don’t like your conditions? Tough. That’s why they call it “the suck” for a reason
As a retired USAF having served almost 28 years including a year in Vietnam and a year in Thailand during the early Vietnam War, I have little sympathy for Bergdahl, unlike the bleeding hearts that feel sorry for him. Regardless of the outcome, if he is not dishonorably discharged, reduced to the lowest rank, and forfeiture of all pay and allowances, will be a severe travesty to all his unit members, all active duty military, and to those of us that served honorably.
Either someone has changed Army regulations or they don’t know them because to be a deserter they have to prove he didn’t intend to return. The fact that he was kidnapped or captured depending on your view is not grounds for a court marshall. The fact that he had his identification on him proves he planned to return. He didn’t dispose of his uniform they took it so that item is mote. He just went for a drink so where does that constitute desertion? Bad place to go out yes but he had done it before and they waited for him to do it again. Do you think he’s the only one who ever went out when he was off duty?
I have been listening. I think he was a misguided immature kid who made a tragic mistake and he’s more than paid the price for that. He should be allowed to live his life and try to put the pieces back together the best he can.
Hmm they need to speak to is direct line of command..anyone above him and see what they have to REALLY say. They were on the news..they had nothing nice to say about him. Men DIED looking for him..good men/1 Fathers, sons, friends….I believe he deserted and he was disenchanted with everything-ie being in the army-being there. I feel terrible for the families of those men who were killed trying to find him.
Once you raise your right hand and take the oath of enlistment, you are no longer simply a free citizen of this country. For however long you serve, wherever you serve, you have given up many of the rights the citizens whose freedoms you’ve decided to protect, take for granted. You are government property. That was made clear to me, when I learned I could face punishment for a sunburn- for damaging government property. Civilians mostly find that to be darkly humorous, and to some degree it is. It was made even more clear, how little the government cares for its defenders, when I helped move a very heavy device, I don’t remember what it was for, but it was in a wooden crate, surrounded by several inches of eggcrate foam, and weighed over 400 lbs. It was supposed to be a 2-man lift, and had only 4 handles on it, each just slightly thicker than a wire hanger. The department of defense has a very large budget, and spends outrageous amounts on the equipment it buys. The life of a soldier, however, is not given nearly the same value, and that is inescapably clear to anyone who has served more than a year on active duty. The only thing a soldier can depend on to watch his or her back, is the soldiers serving beside them. Bergdahl not only betrayed every other soldier at his place of duty, who expected him to be standing guard, he also Cost 7 lives of the soldiers who went into danger, looking for him. As an honorably discharged vet, I could care less what he has to say. I don’t care what conditions he faced at his place of duty. An honorable soldier NEVER leaves his brothers and sisters vulnerable. If there is any justice left in the military, he will never be a free man again. If he is let free, I seriously doubt he’d live very long, as there are many, many vets who feel the same as I do, and maintain their shooting skills far better. I have a family to care for, but if Mr. Bergdahl ever makes the mistake of knocking on my door, I will be happy to invite him in, and share a round or two. Civilians do not understand the absolute rage every single veteran and currently serving member of the military feels for those who place their own comfort over protecting those serving beside him. There is absolutely NO excuse good enough.
Bergdahl was NOT a “misguided kid” … he was a professional soldier who decided to leave his unit and join with the Taliban. He may be stupid, a coward, or someone whose elevator doesn’t reach the top floor, but he’s NOT a misguided kid. Stop excusing folks’ bad behavior ….