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 Hordini wrote:
What does a soldier have to do to earn his rank? I'd posit that while he didn't earn it in the traditional manner, he still earned it.

As I understand it, "automatic" promotions only happen up to E-4 (Specialist/Corporal). Becoming a Sergeant is not something you earn just by having a pulse and not standing out as a troublemaker - above E-4 there's a Congressional quota in place for obvious reasons, so Bergdahl being promoted to Sergeant meant that somebody else had to not be promoted to Sergeant.

Can be be promoted or receive pay increases in the period after you desert?

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Can be be promoted or receive pay increases in the period after you desert?

It appears so, but only (generally?) up to the rank of sergeant.

(I may be wrong, so any of you (active or former) servicemen can feel free to correct me. )

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Can be be promoted or receive pay increases in the period after you desert?

Which can be removed if the situation was created by your own action. Even recomping the financial gain he made from the promotions and benefits (POW pay, E4 pay and E5 pay. To a point he will collect five years of pay as a PFC only.) is within UCMJ actions

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Can be be promoted or receive pay increases in the period after you desert?

I'm pretty sure you would not be promoted if you were in a deserter status. But he was not in a deserter or AWOL status, his status was as a POW.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AlexHolker wrote:

 Hordini wrote:
What does a soldier have to do to earn his rank? I'd posit that while he didn't earn it in the traditional manner, he still earned it.

As I understand it, "automatic" promotions only happen up to E-4 (Specialist/Corporal). Becoming a Sergeant is not something you earn just by having a pulse and not standing out as a troublemaker - above E-4 there's a Congressional quota in place for obvious reasons, so Bergdahl being promoted to Sergeant meant that somebody else had to not be promoted to Sergeant.

I guess they decided being a POW was enough to rate the promotion, which doesn't seem particularly horrible to me. If you're being held captive by an enemy, maybe it's okay to give a soldier the benefit of the doubt on a promotion board. It seems like it's better than the alternative: "Oh, you were held captive for years? Sorry, we couldn't promote you since your packet was incomplete..." Keep in mind military personnel who are being held captive by an enemy are still in service.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Jihadin wrote:

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Can be be promoted or receive pay increases in the period after you desert?

Which can be removed if the situation was created by your own action. Even recomping the financial gain he made from the promotions and benefits (POW pay, E4 pay and E5 pay. To a point he will collect five years of pay as a PFC only.) is within UCMJ actions

None of which have actually happened at this point.