Bergdahl charged with deseretion

[J. Hill]

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who left his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban for five years, was charged Wednesday with desertion and endangering fellow soldiers, commanders said.

Bergdahl faces life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charge, misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place, Col. Daniel J. W. King, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Forces Command, said in a news conference at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Bergdahl faces five years behind bars for the second charge, desertion with intent to shirk Important or hazardous duty, King said.

The charges will next be considered in a preliminary Article 32 hearing, similar to a grand jury, that will decide whether there is enough evidence to merit a court martial, King said. That hearing will take place at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

The hearing officer's recommendations will be forwarded to a commander who will decide whether the case warrants a court martial, should be dismissed, or deserves "any other action deemed appropriate," King said.

Bergdahl was released last year in a controversial prisoner exchange for five Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

NBC News first reported in January that Bergdahl was likely to be charged with desertion. The Army also had the option of filing the lesser charge of going absent without leave, or AWOL.

The military began investigating after Bergdahl was repatriated and returned to Fort Sam Houston, where he was given a desk job.

Investigators questioned Bergdahl for two days last summer.

The main question is not whether he is innocent or guilty, everyone knows he is guilty. The question is whether they will go through with a Court martial or not.