Speaking out outrage, here’s Politifiact: Did Bergdahl serve the U.S. ‘with honor and distinction’?

“Rice’s comments were premature and not at all politically wise, as it’s possible and probably even likely that as we learn more about Bergdahl’s disappearance we’re going to find that it was in less than honorable circumstances,” said Lance Janda, a military historian at Cameron University. The words Rice used “have specific meanings within the context of the armed services that no civilian can convincingly spin for political purposes, and she should not have used them given what we know already. There’s a chance he could still be court-martialed for desertion, and if that happens her comments will seem particularly premature and inflammatory.”

“It’s too early to tell, but what has been asserted so far certainly makes Rice’s comment puzzling,” agreed William W. Stueck, a historian at the University of Georgia who specializes in the military. “Why would Rice make such a comment if it could be demonstrated to be wrong?”