The correspondents in this Serial episode draw their information from a variety of sources which affect their feelings and understanding of the events in Afghanistan and in particular Bergdahl. Most of the accounts are from the soldiers from Bergdahl’s platoon, who act as primary sources because they were first-hand witnesses to Bergdahl’s character and the events in Omnah and Mest. There were instances, however, when the soldiers had second-hand information based on what Bergdahl had said which means it is highly likely that some facts were exaggerated. However what validated their claims was that most men agreed on Bergdahl’s response to the events in Omnah – that they should have done more and were ultimately wasting their time in Afghanistan. Bergdahl is also a primary witness whose account of the situation in Afghanistan was used to better understand him and his thoughts on the situation. His correspondence is mainly used to understand his rationale for walking away from his post and causing a DUSTWAN. It is interesting to hear, however, that although he is a primary source there were instances when he based his critique of Kernel Baker on second-hand accounts from other men in his platoon. The instance of Kernel Baker going off on the soldiers for removing parts of their full uniform while digging an outpost is significant because this is the event that Bergdahl accounts as being the final straw and reason for him setting the DUSTWAN in motion. This episode also made mention of first-hand sources in the form of pictures taken by Sean Smith from the Guardian as playing a significant role in the harsh response towards the soldiers by the heads of the platoon. These primary sources are also analysed at by Ken Wolfe, a military leader who sees it as a breakdown of discipline and a grave risk to everyone in Mest at the time of these events.
The approach that is taken by Serial in analysing the question of why Bergdahl is very interesting as it allowed for a myriad of information into the character of Bergdahl and how he was receiving the situation in Afghanistan versus other members of his platoon. The initial questions that the episode opened with of, “ Is there truth in Bergdahl’s story?”, and “Whether he told the truth about walking off?” allows for deeper analysis into not only his actions but also the larger situation in Afghanistan. The episode starts off with an exploration of Bergdahl as a person- his thinking, actions and prior experiences in training. It takes the listener a bit deeper into Bergdahl’s way of seeing the war and more importantly the ongoing buildup of events that lead to his drastic actions. The events which stand out most are the mission in Omnah and then the digging without full uniform in Mest. The mission in Omnah infuriates Bergdahl for an unusual reason compared to that of other soldiers alongside him. Most were unhappy about the length of time spent on the mountain because of a damaged truck and the unnecessary risk to their lives while Bergdahl was frustrated because of the manager’s lecture on their unshaved state on their return. It was a similar scenario in Mest with Bergdahl seeing the outburst as portraying poor leadership and petty in the grander situation.
The Serial then goes into explaining the changing dynamic of the war effort shifting from Iraq into Afghanistan and the very confusing strategy of COIN which was being employed. The episode has Jason Dempsey, a former officer in tours both Iraq and Afghanistan and current advisor explain the failure of the system being employed by the American army in Afghanistan. He mentioned the rotations of men being problematic because gaining results took longer than they were stationed for. In addition to that, soldiers coming in have no idea about social and political climate in country so find it difficult to adjust and understand the hostility by locals especially since they are usually not involved in major combat situations. This too proves to be problematic because soldiers do not understand why they are involved in humanitarian aid like ventures when they were trained for combat situations. It is this very point that seems to be nagging Bergdahl while with his platoon- the lack of hands-on battle-like experiences against the enemy.
The Serial sheds light on both Bergdahl’s thoughts on the situation at Omnah and Mest as well as the thoughts of other soldiers in his platoon. It ends with a stern critique by Wolfe on the actions of the soldiers in Mest which raises many concerns in terms of discipline.
The research done by Serial showed me the relevance of going beyond one’s initial questions and zoning into the minute details of central agents in events. The research done on Bergdahl, for example, explored where he got his thinking from which lead to a greater understanding of him and his reasoning. Serial also established an important framework around the sources that were used- mainly primary sources but always having multiple accounts to back up their information. Not only was attention paid to their sources for the podcast but also the sources used by the correspondents. In essence, they showed that research has to be multilayered to gain a deeper and fuller knowledge of the events being analyzed.
