In this essay for The New Republic, Elliot Ackerman reflects on the release of Bowe Bergdahl and the controversy surrounding his disappearance in Afghanistan.
Drawing on his own military service and conversations with those connected to the search, Ackerman examines how Bergdahl became a symbol of discontent, sacrifice, and unresolved anger among veterans of the Afghanistan War.
Bowe Bergdahl and the Afghanistan War
The essay explores Bergdahl’s disappearance from OP Mest, the DUSTWUN search effort, and the missions that shaped the lives and losses of soldiers sent to find him.
Loyalty, Sacrifice, and Military Ethics
Ackerman considers the moral burden carried by Bergdahl’s fellow soldiers, the anger of those who lost friends, and the complex question of forgiveness after war.
The Human Cost of Recovery
At its center, the piece asks what happens when one soldier becomes a symbol for the suffering, frustration, and unresolved grief of an entire war.