I wanted to be a soldier, but I wanted to be a soldier back then.
In this interesting, dual part episode of Serial 2, Sarah Koeing and her team delve into Bowe Bergdahl’s past, in terms of his childhood and his peculiar personality, and his past as a member of the Coast Guard before joining the military. It was fascinating to see the foreground in which Bergdahl’s mindset was molded, and quotes from close friends of his that articulate his quiet, yet reflective behavior, which may have affected his code of ethics in the long run. When regarding the information about Bowe’s history of mental illness and considering his stringent mindset, I do not believe that he was particularly fit for service in the U.S. Army. I definitely do think that after the incident in the Coast Guard, the army bypassed something in Bowe’s enlistment that goes against the code of ethics in the army currently. I think that, at least, that they should have addressed the approach of Bergdahl to see things to optimistically and unrealistically to be a soldier for the U.S. army, where one is supposed to take orders and abide by the regulations from the higher-ups without a second thought. Bergdahl should have heeded Kim Harrison’s word of reconsidering this decision as the best path for him and what he wants.
I was surprised to find out that Bowe was a part of the Coast Guard initially, before his enlistment into the U.S. military and how his close friend, Kim, was very against his decision to do demanding, and tense work like the military and Coast Guard. Upon hearing her reservations, I understood and agreed with her reasoning for not approving of Bowe’s decision due to hearing about Bowe’s unrealistic and stringent definition of what a soldier should be, in the previous episode. I was shocked by Bergdahl’s strong, assertive statement after the incident in Omnah, declaring that, “”We shoulda gone out there, and we shoulda killed every single one of those guys.” The once described quiet, dedicated soldier known by his fellow soldiers was contradicted against the image of an individual who is somewhat wrongfully disillusioned by the situation at hand. Sarah Koeing highlights this fact of Bowe’s inability to justify his actions as unrealistic and detrimental to his outlook on the war. It was said that Bergdahl recognized that his expectations were unrealistic, and that he sees things differently from other people, although he still will be to the point of being stubborn, to defend his vision of how things should be. Especially when considering the crisis in Afghanistan, where there are many human rights violations yet many gray areas in terms of approaches to proper intervention by the U.S. due to a tumultuous history of our presence in the region. It makes sense for someone wanting to help people and make a change, like Bowe does, but you must consult with reality to be able to see the problem clearly and effectively. Granted, I also agree with the notion that Bergdahl and his platoon said, on the subject of the importance of shaving, that the reaction of the higher-ups was somewhat irrational, especially down-playing the lives of their men after this tumultuous event.
In terms of my own code of ethics, I am similar to Bowe in a way. I don’t want to see people absentmindedly taking orders and not giving it their all when trying to help people in need. The thought of, “I could have done more…I should have done more,” resonates with me, as I place human rights on a high status. However, I am learning to reconcile with other points of views and am trying to be less unrealistic in my views and learn to judge instances case by case. In my opinion, I think that the overarching code of ethics for the U.S. military be one that implements COIN, “counter-insurgency” which is described as “soldiers and Marines expected to be nation builders as well as warriors.” I think that this ideal should be effectively instilled in the army to improve their reputation and have more of a dutiful purpose in the region, that may help aid in lessening the bloodshed and volatility in the region.
