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Bergdahl Was In Unit Known For Its Troubles (Here come the smears)
The New York Times ^ | June 7, 2014 | Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Eric Schmitt

Posted on 06/07/2014 7:32:37 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The platoon was, an American military official would assert years later, “raggedy.”

On their tiny, remote base, in a restive sector of eastern Afghanistan at an increasingly violent time of the war, they were known to wear bandannas and cutoff T-shirts. Their crude observation post was inadequately secured, a military review later found. Their first platoon leader, and then their first platoon sergeant, were replaced relatively early in the deployment because of problems.

But the unit — Second Platoon, Blackfoot Company in the First Battalion, 501st Regiment — might well have remained indistinguishable from scores of other Army platoons in Afghanistan had it not been for one salient fact: This was the team from which Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl disappeared on June 30, 2009.

In the years since Sergeant Bergdahl’s capture by the Taliban, and even more since his release last week in a contentious prisoner exchange for five Taliban fighters, much has been written suggesting that he was a misfit soldier in something of a misfit platoon that stumbled through its first months in Afghanistan and might have made it too easy for him to walk away, as his fellow soldiers say he did.

Indeed, an internal Army investigation into the episode concluded that the platoon suffered from lapses in discipline and security in the period before Sergeant Bergdahl — a private first class at the time who was promoted while in captivity — disappeared into Paktika Province, two officials briefed on the report said.

But their problems in many ways reflected those of the Pentagon’s strategy writ large across Afghanistan at that moment of the war. The platoon was sent to a remote location with too few troops to seriously confront an increasingly aggressive insurgency, which controlled many villages in the region....

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; army; bergdahl; bergdahlplatoon; bergdahltruthfile; blamethemessenger; cultureofcorruption; dnctalkingpoints; ericschmitt; hastings; military; obama; obamascandals; pravdamedia; richardaoppeljr; smeancampaign; swiftboating; taliban; thebiglie; unamericanactivities; warcrimes; yellowjournalism
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

But it must have been soooo hard for him to serve with these raggedy men. It’s not his fault.

Oh yeah...//sarcasm off.


81 posted on 06/07/2014 8:53:22 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (If you want to keep your dignity, you can keep it. Period........ Just kidding, you can't keep it.)
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To: jsanders2001
Is dab rather still alive?


82 posted on 06/07/2014 8:55:14 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( "Never, never, never give up". Winston Churchill)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Uh-oh!

The soldiers who DIDN'T desert are gonna get "Timesboated"...

83 posted on 06/07/2014 9:01:20 PM PDT by kiryandil (turning Americans into felons, one obnoxious drunk at a time (Zero Tolerance!!!))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Back in the 60’s I was gigged for a haircut and a pocket unbuttoned. Several of my platoon deserted and rightfully so.


84 posted on 06/07/2014 9:07:29 PM PDT by Starstruck (If my reply offends, you probably don't understand sarcasm or criticism...or do.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Hell...I was Soldier of the Quarter! But I still didn't make E-6...I was an E-5P(ermanent). Then again, I couldn't keep my mouth shut about how much I hated Klinton, so was I going to the board? Not likely.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

85 posted on 06/07/2014 9:09:05 PM PDT by wku man (Veterans, it's up to us to save the Republic...let's roll.)
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To: Gene Eric
"When will the Left accuse Blackfoot Company of kidnapping Bergdahl, placing him in the control of the Taliban?"

Hold on to that one for an "I told you so!" later. Give it a week or so.

86 posted on 06/07/2014 9:09:43 PM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

these blatant mil defamers need to be personaly identified and visted at there homes to clarify their asertations


87 posted on 06/07/2014 9:12:11 PM PDT by LeoWindhorse
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To: wku man

You probably never saw any of these, did you?

88 posted on 06/07/2014 9:13:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I will raise $2Million USD for Cruz and/or Palin's next run, what will you do?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

So, exactly how was he captured, when he voluntarily deserted his post and sought out the Taliban to join their forces?


89 posted on 06/07/2014 9:14:34 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

He’s a known traitor, now everyone else is guilty...

Good grief!

I guess having a sleeper as president is very important to the NYT.

Obama is an out and out traitor in this deal.

End of story...


90 posted on 06/07/2014 9:15:58 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: DoughtyOne

This is what happens when you have the media in your corner.


91 posted on 06/07/2014 9:18:29 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Army Air Corps

True...except they’re less credible than Lovitz’s character (to the extent that may even be possible.)


92 posted on 06/07/2014 9:19:35 PM PDT by Milton Miteybad (I am Jim Thompson. {Really.})
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To: dfwgator

Well, the media is fronting for the worst possible global situation at the expense of the United States and the Western world.

That’s Obama’s agenda, so you’re right on target.

I believe firmly that we have a member of the Muslim Brotherhood for president.


93 posted on 06/07/2014 9:20:30 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Jake Tapper’s book “The Outpost” is all about Camp Keating, it’s worth reading to understand the conditions out guys had to endure.


94 posted on 06/07/2014 9:37:00 PM PDT by 1066AD
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They are trying to change the narrative; don’t pay ANY attention to the five terrorists who are (as I type) getting back to business thanks to barry, nope; pay attention to that mean unit that forced, FORCED I tell ya, bergdahl to abandon his post (violation of his 5th general order I might add).


95 posted on 06/07/2014 9:46:37 PM PDT by Ghost of SVR4 (So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)
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To: molson209

The Regime is busy in the bowels of the White Hut, as we speak, conjuring up another scandal to take our minds off of this one.


96 posted on 06/07/2014 10:01:24 PM PDT by Taxman
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To: molson209

Where Carter was incompetent, this administration is downright dirty 24/7.


97 posted on 06/07/2014 10:34:24 PM PDT by 353FMG
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
If this was true he would have had specific complaints in his correspondences. From what I read, he only complained that the military over there in general were not helping the Afghan people.
98 posted on 06/07/2014 11:10:21 PM PDT by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
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To: mikefive
“I’d like to have two armies: (.......)

Jean Lartéguy


Beat me to it!! I have that hanging on my wall, over the computer.
99 posted on 06/07/2014 11:18:01 PM PDT by 98ZJ USMC
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

He was the only sane soldier in a platoon of psychopaths: he HAD to leave for his own safety.

http://twitchy.com/2014/06/05/obama-administration-official-brandon-friedman-floats-psychopaths-smear-of-bergdahls-platoon-mates/


100 posted on 06/08/2014 12:11:11 AM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Love me, love my guns!©)
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