Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl, rescued by US through Gitmo prisoner swap, is charged with desertion
Captured by the Taliban in 2009 after disappearing from his post in Afghanistan, an American soldier was then rescued last year in a controversial prisoner exchange. Now he has been charged with desertion by the U.S. Army.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was a private first class when he disappeared, also faces a charge of misbehavior before the enemy, reports the New York Times (reg. req.). Col. Daniel King announced the charges at a Wednesday press conference at Fort Bragg, N.C.
If convicted he could face a life prison term, reports CNN. Before a court martial is even held, however, a preliminary hearing similar to a grand jury proceeding will determine whether the case should continue, the article explains.
Bergdahl is accused of leaving his post voluntarily before he was captured. “Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war, and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him,” a former member of his platoon told CNN last year.
Bergdahl was freed last May after President Barack Obama agreed to send five Taliban prisoners detained at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Qatar in exchange for Bergdahl’s release.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “White House says notice law didn’t apply in ‘unique circumstances’ of detainee swap’
