Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Will Be Charged with Desertion
The Army will charge Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl with desertion and abandoning his post in Afghanistan, military leaders said Wednesday.
An investigation into desertion claims began when Bergdahl returned to U.S. soil after a prisoner swap with the Taliban last summer.
The exchange was fraught with mixed reviews. Sgt. Bergdahl first made headlines in 2009 when he was reported missing five months after he arrived in Afghanistan. In 2010, the Taliban released a video showing an imprisoned Bergdahl pleading to be set free.
Last summer, Bergdahl returned home following the controversial prisoner swap. The Obama administration angered many Americans by swapping Bergdahl for five senior Taliban leaders from Guantanomo Bay.
Shortly after his return, Bergdahl's fellow soldiers began telling a different story about the events leading up to his capture.
"He walked away. He walked right off the base," Sgt. Evan Buetow, Bergdahl's former team leader, said. "I mean, the fact of the matter is, he deserted us in the middle of Afghanistan to go and find the Taliban."
Officials say Bergdahl will be courtmartialed on charges of desertion and avoiding military service. He also faces charges of misbehavior before the enemy.
A major consideration in this case is whether military officials are able to prove Bergdahl had no intention of returning to his unit, a key element in more serious desertion charges.
