I have mentioned several times that I have a very low opinion of deserters (as well as pro-war draft dodgers, fwiw). Whatever you may think of a deployment or your own circumstances, you have an obligation to your comrades once the fight is on.

Even so, the Bergdahl decision is just and reasonable and Trump’s comments criticizing that decision are outrageous, beyond the pale. They would have been unimaginable before the Rancid One took office.
A dishonorable discharge is no small thing. It cuts Bergdahl off from most benefits or federal employment, and from many civilian employment opportunities. The main consideration though is that he has already been imprisoned, by the Taliban, for five years. During that time, he had to be aware that he could be beheaded on a whim, any time the Talib leaders decided they needed to make a point. That he was a favored captive made no difference, he was an American and that was enough to make him a candidate for the chop. Throwing him in federal prison on top of that would be pointless, redundant and cruel.