Bergdahl Facebook Page Blows Up: 'Our orders were to kill on contact'

A Facebook page, apparently written by soldiers who served with Bowe Bergdahl and called “Bowe Bergdahl is a Traitor,” has sprung up. On the page, soldiers are writing anonymously of their experiences working alongside Bergdahl in Afghanistan. The soldiers are writing anonymously because some remain on active duty, and some also claim that the Pentagon has had them sign nondisclosure statements since Bergdahl went missing in 2009.

One of the posts says that during the search for Bergdahl, soldiers had orders not to re-capture him at all.

From a soldier that was there. He requested that his name not be posted for security reasons.

“What you have is pretty well spot on. All I know is that our orders were kill on contact and then we came back and it was covered up. I’ve personally been threatened a few times that discussing it in half the detail you already have was considered an act of treason.”

Another soldier disputes the Kill on Contact (KOC) order but agrees that he was briefed that Bergdahl was a deserter.

Anonymously submitted

“On 2 separate deployments to Afghanistan I was briefed that ‘ol boy was believed to possibly be in our AO and if contact was made he was to be detained and handed over to MP’s. I don’t recall a KOC order on him personally. My first encounter with this brief was while I was attached to some bearded badasses so forgive me on leaving that out. The second time I was in 3/509 PIR in 2011 which is the sister BN under 4-25ID (ABN). The usual story thats told around USARAK was he was observed leaving the FOB on foot alone by the cameras at the ECP.”

More than one post states that the government knows full well that Bergdahl is a deserter.

Another post lists the names of the six Americans believed to have been killed on searches for Bergdahl.

The “Bowe Bergdahl is a Traitor” page links to a petition that has been posted on the White House website. That petition demands that Bergdahl be punished for the crime of deserting during a time of war. The maximum punishment for that is the death penalty.

One post lays out what happened in the area after Bergdahl disappeared.

“Many others from various units were wounded or killed while actively looking for Bergdahl. Fighting Increased. IEDs and enemy ambushes increased. The Taliban knew that we were looking for him in high numbers and our movements were predictable. Because of Bergdahl, more men were out in danger, and more attacks on friendly camps and positions were conducted while we were out looking for him. His actions impacted the region more than anyone wants to admit. There is also no way to know what he told the Taliban: Our movements, locations, tactics, weak points on vehicles and other things for the enemy to exploit are just a few possibilities. The Government knows full well that he deserted. It looks bad and is a good propaganda piece for the Taliban. They refuse to acknowledge it. Hell they even promoted him to Sergeant which makes me sick. I feel for his family who only want their son/brother back. They don’t know the truth, or refuse to acknowledge it as well. What he did affected his family and his whole town back home, who don’t know the truth. Either way what matters is that good men died because of him. He has been lying on all those Taliban videos about everything since his “capture”. If he ever returns, he should be tried under the UCMJ for being a deserter and judged for what he did. Bergdahl is not a hero, he is not a soldier or an Infantryman. He failed his brothers. Now, sons and daughters are growing up without their fathers who died for him and he will have to face that truth someday.”