A Climax in the Bergdahl Saga Approaches

Well.

After yesterday's colossal gaffe (IMHO) by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (see yesterday's post), it seems that at least one decision-maker in the DoD has come to his senses.

SGT Bowe Bergdahl will be charged with desertion. NBC reports:

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by enemy forces in Afghanistan for five years, will be charged with desertion, a senior defense officials tell NBC News. The officials say the charges could be referred within a week.

According to the officials, the desertion charges would be based on allegations that Bergdahl abandoned his remote outpost in June 2009 to avoid hazardous duty or important service, which are grounds for charges of desertion under the Uniform Military Code of Justice, or UCMJ. According to one senior official, Bergdahl's actions in Afghanistan go well beyond the lesser offense of AWOL, absent without leave, because he allegedly abandoned his post "in the middle of a combat zone, potentially putting the lives of his fellows soldiers at risk."

The charges will apparently not allege that Bergdahl left with the intent never to return. Bergdahl was reportedly captured by the Haqqani terrorist network in Pakistan. He was released in a prisoner swap for five Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo Bay in May.

Perhaps the public will finally be made privy to the details surrounding his capture and the prisoner exchange that led to his release last year. Too many good men lost their lives searching for him -- their memory demands clarification and closure.

Wouldn't it be "interesting" if the Young President granted him clemency? You know -- traitor to traitor.

A Day When Guilt is a Good Thing

This has been a very successful day in the criminal conviction of soulless, waste-of-oxygen-type folk.

#1 -- in Little Rock, convert to Islam, Abdulhakim Muhammad, accused of murdering Army PVT William "Andy" Long and shooting PVT Quinton Ezeagwula outside an Army Recruiting Office in 2009, copped a plea on the eve of trial.  Muhammad will serve life in prison, without parole, on the capital murder count, and life on 12 remaining counts, to run consecutively.  For good measure, the judge also tacked on another 180 years on firearm enhancement counts, also to run consecutively. I doubt he'll be drawing another breath of open air, and that is fine with me.

In the sentencing phase, PVT Long's father testified, "After 2 years, 1 month and 25 days, I can tell you from my experience and expertise at being a father of a murdered son, there is no closure[.]  . . . It is a myth." 

Prosecutor Larry Jegley later told reporters, "Ultimately any plea resolution has to be OK with the victim and the victim's family, [t]he Long family is merciful beyond description. And they showed mercy to Muhammad. Muhammad showed no mercy to the victims whatsoever."

It's a shame that Muhammad was tried on state charges instead of federal, meaning that he'll serve his sentence in an Arkansas prison.  It would've been pleasant to contemplate him serving time in a nice Army-friendly federal pen.  Like Leavenworth, maybe.

#2 -- this afternoon in New Orleans, a unanimous jury found former state legislator and City Council member, Renee Gill-Pratt guilty of Conspiracy to divert public funds and to loot charities for personal gain.  The jury is currently deliberating about the amount of restitution Gill-Pratt will be ordered to pay.  Prosecutors are asking for the tidy little sum of $1.4 mil. Hopefully, there will also be an orange jumpsuit added to Ms. Gill-Pratt's wardrobe.  I'd say she could pull off orange, wouldn't you?

#3 -- with the third thing being the charm -- Bring On Maxine Waters!

Honestly, does she ever shut up?!?!  Anyway -- let's keep this roll going!

Not-so-Mysterious and Pride

So there was a mysterious, unexplained let's-dance-all-around-it contrail spotted and videoed off the California coast last night.   Just some 30 miles off the coast, some say.

I know what it was.

Young Kim Jong Un is feeling frisky and wanting to stretch his 27-year-old, 4-star General-ish muscles.  Even though he's not an Admiral (that we know of -- yet), he apparently has command authority over the NorK submarine fleet. 

That has to be what it was -- NorK missile fireworks to entertain the Young Un.

And to send a message to our Young President who will be visiting Young Un's backyard shortly.  I hope the State Department is paying attention.

On another hand, some friends threw a "Going to Officer Basic Farewell Party" for The Son on Sunday.  I was in Little Rock and actually got to attend!  He'll be at Ft. Sill -- that's close enough to be able to get home for Thanksgiving, a long Christmas break, and occasional weekends until he finishes up in April.  I'm pretty proud of him -- and of his precious family for supporting him.  So, these are Moogie's kids -- a pretty handsome group if I do say so myself!

Good luck, Kiddo!  Cock some cannons and kick some butt!

A Rose by Another Name?

The Young President's firm mandate to get out of Iraq has come to pass, just as he predicted during the 2008 election campaign and early days of his administration.  A few days early, even!

Oh.  Except for those 50,000 or so soldiers who will stay there for awhile, doing pretty much the same jobs.  Or those who, as many WWII troops did after VE Day, will simply re-locate to the other theater of war.

We just won't call them soldiers.  Or warfighters.  Or Combat Brigade Teams.

Aren't semantics a wondrous tool!

Fort Hood, Remembered and Held in Honor

The roll call goes unanswered.

Rest In Peace, valiant fallen of Fort Hood, and may God's peace comfort your loved ones.

May the wounded have a full and swift recovery.

And may we -- all of those left behind -- never take a single member of our uniformed services, nor a moment in time, for granted.



If I hear one more television commentator refer to First "Calvary" or an Army "Base" I may have to scream.

A Soldier Responds to MJ's Death

I received this in an email today. It's pretty powerful stuff. Plus, it suggests a way to get Congress to shut up.

This is written by a young man serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. Thought you might find his take on the Michael Jackson news interesting.

____________________________

Okay, I need to rant. I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael Jackson. As we all know, Jackson died the other day. He was an entertainer who performed for decades. He made millions, he spent millions, and he did a lot of things that make him a villain to many people. I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, and I respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point of my rant.

Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief. When a man dies whose only contribution to the country was to ENTERTAIN people, the American people find the need to flock to a memorial in Hollywood, and even Congress sees the need to hold a "moment of silence" for his passing?

Am I missing something here? ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades? What about all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom? All those Soldiers who, knowing that they would be asked to fight in a war, still raised their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of America. Where is their moment of silence? Where are the people flocking to their graves or memorials and mourning over them because they made the ultimate sacrifice? Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people saying "good riddance," and "thank God for IEDs?" When did this country become so calloused to the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a "Pop Icon?"

I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS for Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They need to PUBLICLY recognize every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE, those that are living and those that have gone on, have provided for them. But, wait, that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice. After all, we will never make millions of dollars. We will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will listen too. We only shed our blood, sweat and tears so that people can enjoy what they have.

Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it. Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who is serving in the military; "So that others may live..."

Isaac

Bravo, Isaac. And thank you.