The Bergdahl malcontent excuse for desertion

Washington Post:

Bergdahl sought to air grievances when he left post, was captured

Emotional testimony has underscored the brutal captivity he endured, as well as the chaos caused by his disappearance and the resentment of some comrades.

It is not unusual for troops to have some gripe about things in a war zone.  I recall a Marine in Vietnam who wrote his Congressman complaining that he was not getting cold beer while out in the field.  Really!  Other complaints are more substantive but they go through the chain of command and I do not care what your gripe is, it is not an excuse to desert.  The fact that the Taliban treated him brutally does not excuse his conduct or even mitigate it.  His actions put his fellow troops at risk.  No grievance can justify that.