Bowe Berghdal was posted in Afghanistan in May 2009, to ensure the local's safety from the Taliban. He intended to play a real life hero in a country at war where he could save people and fight the bad ones. Bowe's expectations about his job and goals did not correspond to the reality he was put into. It was all desert and slit landscape around him. It was OP mest. OP mest is a large barren land and miles away from basic hygiene facilities. The Platoon was poorly led, lacked appropriate functioning and leadership. Bowe was neither comfortable nor satisfied with what he was seeing, feeling and going through. He tried to report his concerns many times. That were not only harmful for him but his inmates. His concerns were ignored. He was ignored. Now he could only think of one way to be heard, by being silent. On June 2009, he decided to cause DUSTWUN- Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. He left his duty and walked towards FOB Sharana (another base) that was 25miles away. Without any back up plan or defense weapons. He took each steps towards his own catastrophe. In a small town of Afghanistan, among locals who did not look him(an American), Bowe assumed he could walk through and not be recognized or caught by Taliban. Realistically, he subconsciously knew he was putting his hand into Lion's mouth. And that's where he ended up, in captivity. The journey of 24 hours lasted for 5 years.
His decision of risking his life as well as his country was neither logical nor practical. Such naive determination was not worth the amount of loss he suffered. Bowe had a history of serving in the military, he knew the protocols and was aware of the consequence of disobedience. Yet, he abandoned his job. That sounds undoubtedly gutsy but unwise. Bowe Berghdale did not act like a normal person. He did not think like a normal person. So what happened in that platoon that did not cause others to act that way but only him? Bowe could have been tortured or mentally ill or bullied or sexually assaulted or what not that left him with no other choice but to make such a deadly decision. If I had been in his position, I could have never dared to endanger my own country due to my inconvenience. I would have got my inmates to support me, contact the authorities and much more before I even think about crossing a slit and barren terrain with almost no idea of what awaits a thousand meters ahead.
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