A New York Times article published Wednesday originally suggested that U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl might receive an honorable discharge even if convicted of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
But two of Bergdahl's former platoon mates told Fox News Channel's
"The Kelly File" on Thursday that would be an insult to those who have served honorably.
"I think it's more than a slap in the face," Evan Buetow told host Megyn Kelly. "I think it's an absolute spit in the face of every single service member whether it's Marines, United States Army, Navy, Coast Guard, whatever it is."
Cody Full added that Bergdahl should face consequences for his actions.
"You know, I feel bad and compassionate as a human being that that happened to another American. But at the same time if you wouldn't have deserted and turned your back on your fellow American comrades, then you wouldn't be in that predicament in the first place," Full said.
"You have guys that go to Afghanistan, Iraq multiple times that serve this country honorably. They don't desert. They do their job. They come home. And these guys are battling PTSD, missing a limb, have a Purple Heart. They have a few drinks one night, make a mistake. They don't get honorable discharge."
The Times' story originally reported, "For members of the military, an honorable discharge is no small matter, and not getting one can hinder not only a veteran’s job prospects but the entirety of how a service memberlook [sic] back on his or her career."
After a backlash on Twitter, the paragraph was removed from the online edition.
When Breitbart.com asked the Times about the change, the Times replied that "online stories are routinely edited for space and other considerations. Most of these edits do not require a correction or editor’s note."
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