© APBowe Bergdahl
US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl has been spared jail time by a military court,
receiving a dishonorable discharge instead. Donald Trump condemned the ruling, branding it a "disgrace" to the US and its military.
A military judge made the ruling in Bergdahl's case on Friday. The serviceman was captured by Taliban in Afghanistan back in 2009, when he deserted his post. Bergdahl claimed he did so
to report a case of "leadership failure" in his unit.
His disappearance prompted a hasty search-and-rescue operation, which resulted in several US soldiers being injured and a combat dog being killed. Bergdahl spent five years in Taliban captivity until he was exchanged in 2014 as part of a prisoner swap with the militant group.
Taliban released him in exchange for five men who were associated with the group and were detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Bergdahl was subsequently charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place. Back in August, Bergdahl pleaded guilty to both charges, which could have resulted in a maximum punishment of life in prison.
The prosecution argued for Bergdahl to be sent prison for 14 years owing to the injuries US servicemen sustained during the botched efforts to rescue him.
However, the military judge spared Bergdahl a prison sentence, instead ruling that he be dishonorably discharged from the US Army. Such a discharge will result in Bergdahl being stripped of all his veteran's benefits. In addition,
it is treated as the equivalent of a felony conviction in many states, accompanied by the same loss of civil rights for the discharged soldier.
Comment: The US Police State is reflection of America's National Security State - where the answer to seemingly everything is to throw more money, time and resources towards arming ourselves to the teeth - and ignoring the myriad other economic, political and social problems that could use the spent Trillions towards actually helping people.