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U.S.

Bowe Bergdahl Charged With Desertion and Misbehavior Before the Enemy

By HELENE COOPERMARCH 25, 2015

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Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl Credit U.S. Army

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WASHINGTON Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, who disappeared from his Army outpost in Afghanistan in 2009,

was captured by the Taliban and held by the Haqqani insurgent network until last May, has been

charged with desertion and with misbehavior before the enemy, Col. Daniel King of the United States

Army said on Wednesday.

The charges were announced at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Defense Department officials have indicated that there is little desire to see him serve time behind bars

if he is court-martialed and convicted.

Just being charged with desertion doesnt mean hes going to go to court-martial, there are a lot of

more steps in the process, a Defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Sergeant Bergdahl, then a private first class, disappeared on June 30, 2009. He was released in May

2014 in exchange for five Taliban officials who were imprisoned at Guantnamo Bay, Cuba.

Since June, Sergeant Bergdahl has been assigned to administrative duties at Fort Sam Houston, Tex.

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RELATED COVERAGE

Key Questions in the Release of Bowe BergdahlJUNE 5, 2014

graphic Where Bergdahl DisappearedJUNE 4, 2014

A sign outside Zaneys, a coffee shop in Hailey, Idaho, announced Sgt. Bowe Bergdahls release.Concern

for Health of Bowe Bergdahl Drove Prisoner ExchangeJUNE 4, 2014

Sergeant Bergdahls freedom last year, in exchange for five Taliban detainees held at Guantnamo Bay

ignited a firestorm of controversy in the United States. Both Republicans and Democrats criticized

President Obama for not alerting Congress to the swap beforehand.

Meanwhile, members of Sergeant Bergdahls platoon accused the sergeant of voluntarily leaving his

post in 2009, and said that he should be tried for desertion.

Military officials had a range of options on how to deal with Sergeant Berdgahl, from declaring him

innocent of any wrongdoing to being charged with being absent without leave AWOL to charging

him with desertion, the most serious charge Sergeant Bergdahl faced.

But it still remains uncertain whether Sergeant Bergdahl will be court-martialed, the Defense official

said.

Another question is whether the Army will give Sergeant Bergdahl an honorable discharge if he is found

guilty of desertion. For members of the military, an honorable discharge is no small matter, and not

getting one can not only hinders a veterans job prospects, but also weigh on the entirety of how a

service member looks back on his or her career.

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