{"id":24203,"date":"2014-06-19T15:28:15","date_gmt":"2014-06-19T22:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?p=24203"},"modified":"2014-06-19T15:28:15","modified_gmt":"2014-06-19T22:28:15","slug":"veterans-voices-u-s-prisoner-returns-from-afghanistan-after-5-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/veterans-voices-u-s-prisoner-returns-from-afghanistan-after-5-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Voices: U.S. prisoner returns from Afghanistan after 5 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vet<\/a>Shouting distance was all that separated more than a dozen Taliban fighters and U.S.\u00a0Special Forces on May 31, 2014.\u00a0Rifles were drawn. Drones and helicopters circled overhead, all striking symbols of\u00a0war–a war so painful to both American and Afghani people. No bullets or missiles\u00a0were fired that tense day, and no lives lost. The moment marked a reconciliation of\u00a0sorts between combatants, a human exchange happened.<\/p>\n

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only U.S. prisoner of war (POW) held in Afghanistan\u00a0emerged from the group of Taliban fighters and walked toward the Americans. As\u00a0he made his march though the standoff, five Guantanamo detainees began their\u00a0journey toward freedom as they were being released to the intermediary country\u00a0Qatar.<\/p>\n

Bergdahl was taken prisoner in Yahya Khel, Afghanistan in June 2009 and the\u00a0circumstances surrounding his capture continues to be the subject of much\u00a0speculation and opinion. This is very unfortunate given the fact that Bergdahl\u00a0is a former POW who was held in the most remote Taliban-controlled regions\u00a0of Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. There will be many stories told about\u00a0Bergdahl, but the only one that matters is the story that he tells–the one he saw and\u00a0lived–in his own words.<\/p>\n

Bergdahl\u2019s capture occurred when he was only 23, his formative years spent as a\u00a0prisoner. He learned a new language, custom and culture–all under constant duress.\u00a0When he did finally board the helicopter that would ferry him to freedom, he was\u00a0taking his first steps toward healing.<\/p>\n

Right now it is time for the two societies to focus on the steps toward reconciliation,\u00a0for reconciliation can help to heal. The first steps have been taken as six families in\u00a0the U.S. and Afghanistan see their loved ones after so many years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shouting distance was all that separated more than a dozen Taliban fighters and U.S.\u00a0Special Forces on May 31, 2014.\u00a0Rifles were drawn. Drones and helicopters circled overhead, all striking symbols of\u00a0war–a war so painful to both American and Afghani people. No bullets or missiles\u00a0were fired that tense day, and no lives lost. The moment marked a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3176,3216,2308,3215],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-24203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-voices","tag-afganistan","tag-bowe-bergdahl","tag-veterans","tag-veterans-voices","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nVeterans Voices: U.S. prisoner returns from Afghanistan after 5 years - El Tecolote<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Shouting distance was all that separated more than a dozen Taliban fighters and U.S.\u00a0Special Forces on May 31, 2014.\u00a0Rifles were drawn. 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