Missing POW from Hailey Idaho

[frank ryan]

Yes, I am guessing he must have been crazy given that:

(1) He "left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life." (Only a crazy guy would leave a note telling exactly what you were doing.)

(2) He was described as "bookish and filled with romantic notions that some found odd." (Why would a "bookish" dude even sign up for the army? Only a crazy "bookish" dude would do this.)

(3) “He wouldn’t drink beer or eat barbecue and hang out with the other 20-year-olds," but instead “He was always in his bunk. He ordered Rosetta Stone for all the languages there, learning Dari and Arabic and Pashto.” (Again in the Army but he doesn't drink beer or eat barbecue? Crazy... or maybe a Mormon.)

(4) Before he wondered off, "He had sent all his belongings home — his computer, personal items," (Who in that awful place would send home all their stuff? What would he do other than to gaze at the mountains and wonder if he could get to china? Crazy.)

(5) He would "gaze at the mountains around them and say he wondered if he could get to China from there." (Well, I am guessing this is after he sent all his stuff home.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/us...t.html?hp&_r=2

What a crazy "Son of the 208". Well, "I'm glad we got rid of those five people", however.

sound like the desperate and self destructive actions of a person dealing an intense emotional and existential crisis, who likely soaked in some pretty traumatic stuff in a war

[Blueintheface]

Less than 3 months to football. Pace yourselves.

[imanihonjin]

sound like the desperate and self destructive actions of a person dealing an intense emotional and existential crisis, who likely soaked in some pretty traumatic stuff in a war

Perhaps....but if I understand what you are saying, desertion is never a possibility because someone who leaves their post must be mentally ill. Is that correct?

[SoonerCoug]

Getting rid of belongings before committing suicide or doing something profoundly self destructive is common.

In my hometown, there was a woman who was getting rid of all her stuff and left notes about her own disillusionment. She would answer her front door naked and exhibit other bizarre behaviors before she murdered her entire family and committed suicide in the midst of a psychotic break. (She was frankly psychotic.)

The problem is that people don't understand how mental illness manifests itself.

The guy was depressed and maybe even psychotic. The Taliban described him as "acting strangely" and so on. What is the Taliban's motivation for describing him as having strange behavior?

I have had scores of patients who come in and initially seem rational and normal but later begin to describe all kinds of auditory hallucinations and clearly have psychotic episodes and severe mental illness.

Even if there is just a chance that this guy was having a psychotic break, people should lay off until they have a better idea of what was going on.

[frank ryan]

Perhaps....but if I understand what you are saying, desertion is never a possibility because someone who leaves their post must be mentally ill. Is that correct?

No that's not what I said. The military justice system can decide whether or not it was desertion. I think it is very obvious

Getting rid of belongings before committing suicide or doing something profoundly self destructive is common.

In my hometown, there was a woman who was getting rid of all her stuff and left notes about her own disillusionment. She would answer her front door naked and exhibit other bizarre behaviors before she murdered her entire family and committed suicide in the midst of a psychotic break. (She was frankly psychotic.)

The problem is that people don't understand how mental illness manifests itself.

The guy was depressed and maybe even psychotic. The Taliban described him as "acting strangely" and so on. What is the Taliban's motivation for describing him as having strange behavior?

I have had scores of patients who come in and initially seem rational and normal but later begin to describe all kinds of auditory hallucinations and clearly have psychotic episodes and severe mental illness.

Even if there is just a chance that this guy was having a psychotic break, people should lay off until they have a better idea of what was going on.

clearly he reached an intense breaking point. Walking out into the Afgan wilderness is not a emotionally healthy thing to do.

[Blueintheface]

Getting rid of belongings before committing suicide or doing something profoundly self destructive is common.

In my hometown, there was a woman who was getting rid of all her stuff and left notes about her own disillusionment. She would answer her front door naked and exhibit other bizarre behaviors before she murdered her entire family and committed suicide in the midst of a psychotic break. (She was frankly psychotic.)

The problem is that people don't understand how mental illness manifests itself.

The guy was depressed and maybe even psychotic. The Taliban described him as "acting strangely" and so on. What is the Taliban's motivation for describing him as having strange behavior?

I have had scores of patients who come in and initially seem rational and normal but later begin to describe all kinds of auditory hallucinations and clearly have psychotic episodes and severe mental illness.

Even if there is just a chance that this guy was having a psychotic break, people should lay off until they have a better idea of what was going on.

I watched a program last night about a forest in the foothills of Mt Fuji (someone on here certainly knows about this better than I do) which had become an unofficial suicide destination for many Japanese. Very sad to see the process of those still struggling right up to the point of suicide.

[frank ryan]

I watched a program last night about a forest in the foothills of Mt Fuji (someone on here certainly knows about this better than I do) which had become an unofficial suicide destination for many Japanese. Very sad to see the process of those still struggling right up to the point of suicide.

There was a vice doc on that forest. Pretty tough.

[Goatnapper'96]

No that's not what I said. The military justice system can decide whether or not it was desertion. I think it is very obvious
clearly he reached an intense breaking point. Walking out into the Afgan wilderness is not a emotionally healthy thing to do.

Clearly eh? It appears to me that those who have actually met him, served alongside him and also witnessed the horrors of war do not seem to share either yours or Sooner's analysis or your sympathy, why does anyone think that be?

I will guard everything within the limits of my post and only quit when properly relieved. Those words are not a recommendation, they are an ORDER. Real shitty time in his combat buddies lives for him to start acting emotionally unhealthy.

[SoonerCoug]

Clearly eh? It appears to me that those who have actually met him, served alongside him and also witnessed the horrors of war do not seem to share either yours or Sooner's analysis or your sympathy, why does anyone think that be?

Poor understanding of mental illness is the norm in America. The military is no exception.

[creekster]

Poor understanding of mental illness is the norm in America. The military is no exception.

I bet 97% of scientists agree on that one too!

[SoonerCoug]

I bet 97% of scientists agree on that one too!

The more important statistic is that we, the "freest" country in the world, have imprisoned 1% of our population--more than any country in history. About 60% of those prisoners are mentally ill. Americans generally don't care. They just want them locked up. We are a punitive culture--something probably related to Puritanism / religion. Is it any coincidence that Mormonism--the American religion--is so punitive toward its members for their sins? (Constant penalties--withholding recommends, disfellowshipping, excommunicating). Hell, just look at cougarboard if you have any doubts about the punitive nature of Mormon culture.

[eldiente]

Note to Sooner - you are free. The mormons aren't incarcerating you anymore, Let it go

[SeattleUte]

Hell, just look at cougarboard if you have any doubts about the punitive nature of Mormon culture.

I can't do that. I was banned for stuff I posted on Cougarguard, a completely different board.

[frank ryan]

Clearly eh? It appears to me that those who have actually met him, served alongside him and also witnessed the horrors of war do not seem to share either yours or Sooner's analysis or your sympathy, why does anyone think that be?

I will guard everything within the limits of my post and only quit when properly relieved. Those words are not a recommendation, they are an ORDER. Real shitty time in his combat buddies lives for him to start acting emotionally unhealthy.

Ya, I think that is pretty clear.

[Uncle Ted]

It sounds like the Taliban may be helping President Obama with promise to shutdown Gitmo:

[...]
Asked whether the Taliban would be inspired by the exchange to kidnap others, he [an anonymous senior Taliban commander] laughs. “Definitely,” he says. “It’s better to kidnap one person like Bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people. It has encouraged our people. Now everybody will work hard to capture such an important bird.”

http://time.com/2826534/bowe-bergdahl-taliban-captors/

If a crazy soldier that went AWOL is worth five high ranking Taliban then imagine what a non-crazy one would be worth.