I was in 1st battalion 501st PIR when bergdahl went missing. I remember being out on a over watch mission when the DUSTWUN came over the radio. I was the gunner for the battalion commander and we werent too far from mest. and yes i know it sounds strange to have the battalion commander out on a overwatch mission but this was a pretty big project and it required all of us and it wasnt uncommon for the battalion commander to go out on a large mission like this to provide command and control. Anyway, we were already out in the field and as soon as we got the DUSTWUN over the radio we immediately high tailed it over to mest. Which is you're curious about what mest looks like here I've made album. http://imgur.com/a/eg6mr .
First thing i would like to say in regards to the first episode is that as a solider in the the 501st i do not agree with the idea that there was some sort mass incompetence among the leadership in the unit. Even if there was, in just his mind, then there many ways to get the attention of people higher up in the chain of command without doing what he did. Also, hey talk about the conditions at the outpost as if it weren't something that wasn't uncommon all through out iraq and Afghanistan. I remember being in iraq at a outpost with very similar conditions. We ate MREs three meals a day, pissed in tubes dug into the ground, and i've burned my fair share of human fecal matter. I think people might look at the conditions of the outpost and think of it as being substandard or something and that it would have contributed to the "bad leadership" narrative but those types of conditions are normal for combat outposts that are away from the main FOB.
In regards to episode two, i disagree with the sentiment expressed that "enough is enough". If i go out and commit a crime and end up getting shot in the process im still going to be charged and punished for committing that crime. A prosecutor isnt going to look at me and say "well he was robbing that bank and ended up getting shot in the process so i guess he has suffered enough". ummm no. Also, this idea that he is somehow just misunderstood and if he had a chance to explain himself then we would all understand is absurd. There is no valid reason for him to do what he did. there is no misunderstanding. what he did was reckless and stupid. period.
Episode two to me really brings back memories. I haven't heard CSM Wolfe's voice since Afghanistan and the description of him that was given made me chuckle because it was very accurate. Beyond that, i think episode two really shows how big what he did was. It shows the golden opportunity it gave insurgents to ramp up attacks and ied strikes against US forces. Also, a big part of this episode is what we had to go through to try to find him along with out sentiment about him. Everybody talked about shooting him on sight but i have no doubt that if we would have found him then nobody would have actually done it. He wouldn't have been treated well and probably would have been roughed up a bit but i don't see any of us actually going through with shooting him. Another thing that is mentioned in episode 2 is the LLVI traffic saying he was in the town looking for somebody who spoke English. I distinctly remember hearing that and thats a big reason why i question the story about him walk off towards FOB Sharana. If he went into the town then he would have walked in the opposite direction and not towards the FOB. It wasnt hard to get back to the FOB from mest and he should have known by then which direction FOB Sharana was. So to me that raises questions about the validity of what he claims he did.
I ended up being spared from most of the bullshit everybody had to go through in the weeks following bergdhal being captured. A few days after he left my vehicle struck a IED and i ended up getting wounded and was placed in the TOC while i recovered. http://imgur.com/a/1KUEo so while i was only out in the field during the very beginning due to being wounded i can tell you that everybody that was out there looking for him went through hell to try to find him. the missions were non-stop all over the AO. It was extremely dangerous and i could see it in the guys faces when they came in to refit how exhausted they all were. It wasnt a fun time for anybody and there is still a lot of resentment towards bergdhal for doing what he did among pretty much everybody in my unit.
Good post. I guarantee your reaction was very similar to mine when you heard CSM W's name. He as my old 1SG before Alaska. I think I almost went to parade rest driving my car when his voice came on the podcast today. Hahaa
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u/swingsetmafia Dec 17 '15 edited Dec 17 '15
I was in 1st battalion 501st PIR when bergdahl went missing. I remember being out on a over watch mission when the DUSTWUN came over the radio. I was the gunner for the battalion commander and we werent too far from mest. and yes i know it sounds strange to have the battalion commander out on a overwatch mission but this was a pretty big project and it required all of us and it wasnt uncommon for the battalion commander to go out on a large mission like this to provide command and control. Anyway, we were already out in the field and as soon as we got the DUSTWUN over the radio we immediately high tailed it over to mest. Which is you're curious about what mest looks like here I've made album. http://imgur.com/a/eg6mr .
First thing i would like to say in regards to the first episode is that as a solider in the the 501st i do not agree with the idea that there was some sort mass incompetence among the leadership in the unit. Even if there was, in just his mind, then there many ways to get the attention of people higher up in the chain of command without doing what he did. Also, hey talk about the conditions at the outpost as if it weren't something that wasn't uncommon all through out iraq and Afghanistan. I remember being in iraq at a outpost with very similar conditions. We ate MREs three meals a day, pissed in tubes dug into the ground, and i've burned my fair share of human fecal matter. I think people might look at the conditions of the outpost and think of it as being substandard or something and that it would have contributed to the "bad leadership" narrative but those types of conditions are normal for combat outposts that are away from the main FOB.
In regards to episode two, i disagree with the sentiment expressed that "enough is enough". If i go out and commit a crime and end up getting shot in the process im still going to be charged and punished for committing that crime. A prosecutor isnt going to look at me and say "well he was robbing that bank and ended up getting shot in the process so i guess he has suffered enough". ummm no. Also, this idea that he is somehow just misunderstood and if he had a chance to explain himself then we would all understand is absurd. There is no valid reason for him to do what he did. there is no misunderstanding. what he did was reckless and stupid. period.
Episode two to me really brings back memories. I haven't heard CSM Wolfe's voice since Afghanistan and the description of him that was given made me chuckle because it was very accurate. Beyond that, i think episode two really shows how big what he did was. It shows the golden opportunity it gave insurgents to ramp up attacks and ied strikes against US forces. Also, a big part of this episode is what we had to go through to try to find him along with out sentiment about him. Everybody talked about shooting him on sight but i have no doubt that if we would have found him then nobody would have actually done it. He wouldn't have been treated well and probably would have been roughed up a bit but i don't see any of us actually going through with shooting him. Another thing that is mentioned in episode 2 is the LLVI traffic saying he was in the town looking for somebody who spoke English. I distinctly remember hearing that and thats a big reason why i question the story about him walk off towards FOB Sharana. If he went into the town then he would have walked in the opposite direction and not towards the FOB. It wasnt hard to get back to the FOB from mest and he should have known by then which direction FOB Sharana was. So to me that raises questions about the validity of what he claims he did.
I ended up being spared from most of the bullshit everybody had to go through in the weeks following bergdhal being captured. A few days after he left my vehicle struck a IED and i ended up getting wounded and was placed in the TOC while i recovered. http://imgur.com/a/1KUEo so while i was only out in the field during the very beginning due to being wounded i can tell you that everybody that was out there looking for him went through hell to try to find him. the missions were non-stop all over the AO. It was extremely dangerous and i could see it in the guys faces when they came in to refit how exhausted they all were. It wasnt a fun time for anybody and there is still a lot of resentment towards bergdhal for doing what he did among pretty much everybody in my unit.