Armed Forces News

Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier now facing charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, left his unit because he was disillusioned with his mission and commanders, the Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe reported Sept. 20. Details of Bergdahl’s 2009 departure from his unit, and subsequent capture by the Taliban, emerged during preliminary Article 32 hearing that would determine if the soldier should stand trial. Now a sergeant, Bergdahl came home in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange. According to the Post report, the soldier had intended to disappear for no more than a couple of days and then return and air his grievances. Meanwhile, the officer who headed the official investigation into Bergdahl’s case said the soldier should not be imprisoned. During testimony at Bergdahl’s Article 32 hearing, which is comparable to a civilian grand jury, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl said imprisonment would be “inappropriate,” according to the conservative Web site GOPUSA.com.