Bush Obama Bush Obama blah blah blah, look I am not a fan of either one, nor am I a big fan of either the republican or democratic party, they are both full of crap and are only there to fulfill their own self interest, why can't anyone figure that out already, by the way, I was under the impression that there is 535 other people, I believe we call these parasites congress or something to that effect that are also involved with this mess, why is it that the argument is always focused on the presidents and not the 535 who are not doing their jobs, just a thought that's all, as far as Bergdahl or whatever his name is, the dude left his post, it doesn't matter wether you are out on the wire in Afghanistan or guarding some make shift ammo dump with a shotgun out at Camp Wilson 29 Palms during peace time, if you drop your gear and your weapon and walk off you are abandoning your post, and there used to be a time that if and when a Soldier, Marine, Sailor or a Airman did such a thing that they were promptly charged for the infraction, but I guess in this new military that doesn't happen, as to DTPs point about what could have been going through the young mans head, allow me to remind everyone that we have a all volunteer armed force at this time, I will not doubt that these men and women who have served in OEF/OIF are seeing awful things that no human should ever have to see, but the fact still remains that Bergdahl along with many others signed the dotted line and volunteered, THEY WERE NOT DRAFTED, and because of that I have a problem with the whole "well you don't know what's going through their heads argument", especially when you have young men and women who have not only volunteered to join the military but have also voluntarily done multiple deployments to both OEF/OIF, while it's been about 24 years since I went to MEPS in Oakland to take my physical to go into the Marine Corps and I barely remember the process then and have no idea what they do now, maybe there should be a better process on testing the mental state of potential recruits for these types of short comings, perhaps there is a younger former veteran on this forum who has gone through MEPS more recently than I have who can chime in on the subject and explain to us if there is such a process, as far as Bergdahl what is known is that he did abandon his post that much is clear as far as desertion well I guess the investigation will have to determine that, who knows it may become a issue of defection as opposed to desertion if it's found that he worked with the Taliban like it is rumored and the investigation determines such, but considering the way business is done in Washington I won't hold my breath waiting for answers.