Bergdahl was fit for service according to the evaluation carried by the US military but based on what I have heard in this podcast of his mental state I do not think he was fit for service in the US Army. Firstly Bergdahl’s basis of joining the army as well as his thoughts on what war is like was flawed. In the first-hand accounts by Bergdahl as well as his friends, we find out that he wanted to be some sort of mercenary and hero at the same time. His view of war was inaccurate and based a great deal on historical ideas he had been exposed to. Kim, who is a mother of the sort to him, says that he was uncompromising in his beliefs and standard to which he held others. An individual who does not compromise is inflexible and one has to be flexible to be able to take orders that could potentially go against what one believes. In addition to this very rigid ethical criteria, Bergdahl also has a very different way of analyzing situations. We see accounts of his radically different responses to the reprimands by his platoon leader. Whereas most men complain and get over it, Bergdahl, on the other hand, starts seeing the platoon leader as a bad leader who hates the men and could put everyone’s lives at risk. This paranoid thinking is what leads him to make his decision to cause a DUSTWUN. This action sounds like madness to most people but to Bergdahl it was logical. He was clearly not assessing information like the average person and this could have been spotted before he joined the army.
Before joining the army Bergdahl was part of the coast guard. He did not end up sticking to it because the style of leadership was very reminiscent of his parents which was very upsetting to him. While in the coast guard Bergdahl was found unconscious, with blood on his face because he felt overwhelmed and could no longer cope. He went for a psychiatric assessment where it was discovered that he had anxiety and would need stress management counselling. It was also recorded that Bergdahl would need to have clearance from a psychiatrist to be re-enlisted into the army. However, in the time during which Bergdahl was enlisting the army waived some criteria in the recruiting process due to the need for more men. This allowed for some information to be overlooked simply so he could join. A former doctor said Bergdahl would have been accepted regardless of the more lenient recruitment system simply because the army does not pay much attention to mental health issues like those demonstrated in Bergdahl. However, another doctor disagrees with that and says that something slipped during the assessment. Either way, both accounts speak to the faulty recruiting system the US army employed by failing to do a better assessment of Bergdahl. The fact that Bergdahl dropped out of the coast guard (a branch of sorts to the army) begged for more scrutiny by the recruitment officer and evaluation of Bergdahl from a psychiatrist would have been some steps to take before allowing enlistment. Looking back psychiatrists can say that Bergdahl was in an unfit mental state from the time of him causing the DUSTWUN.
His mental state being unstable or not, many of his platoon members deem his actions as unethical. When considering my personal code of ethics I can somewhat empathize with Bergdahl. I have strong core values and a sense of right and wrong that I feel I would stand up for should the situation require. I value a team and considering their opinions but when it comes to situations where my core beliefs in right and wrong are brought to challenge, I will go against the majority and speak up or take action. In the same breathe I also know the importance of seeking assistance and making decisions that have taken some sort of informed research. Other important core values to me are compassion towards other living beings, integrity and self-control so as not to get swept up in extreme emotion or rash actions.
The overarching code of ethics of the U.S. military should call for loyalty to the unit and country, the flexibility of personal to the workings of war, respect to orders of those in charge, a sound mind, healthy body and constant communication within the unit. Those are all important ethics and abilities I believe anyone who is fighting for their country should be able to uphold. In Bergdahl’s placement as a coast guard, I do not believe he upheld those ethics, in particular, being able to respect orders. From the onset of his placement, he had an issue with the way orders were being given. In addition to that, he was not of a sound mind as was seen with his breakdown and inability to function effectively in that environment. It was this same breakdown yet with different outcomes that we see in his actions later on with causing a DUSTWUN.
