Originally published in The Daily Beast.
The U.S. Army today has charged Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl with one count of desertion and one count of misbehavior before the enemy, “”ndangering the safety of a command, unit, or place” in the words of Col. Daniel King at a press conference.
Next, Mr. Bergdahl will face a hearing to determine if there is probable cause to move forward with a trial, not unlike a civilian grand jury.
If Mr. Bergdahl is tried and convicted under a court martial, he could serve life in prison for misbehavior or five years in prison for desertion.
Mr. Bergdahl, 28, disappeared June 2009 from Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan while serving as a private from the 25th Infantry Division.
The U.S. military devoted an enormous amount of resources in the search for him, particularly after videos appeared showing him in custody.
In addition, his family and their hometown of Hailey, Idaho, fought to keep attention on Mr. Bergdahl’s case.
Last May, Mr. Bergdahl was released in exchange for five Taliban members held at Guantanamo Bay. Subsequently they were transferred to Qatari custody for a year.
President Obama made the announcement of Mr. Bergdahl’s release in a Rose Garden ceremony flanked by Mr. Bergdahl’s parents, even as the circumstances of his disappearance were shrouded in uncertainty and charges that he abandoned his post and troops.
In an interview last June with CNN, Susan Rice, national security advisor, said Mr. Bergdahl served with “honor and distinction.”
After undergoing an evaluation, Mr. Bergdahl was assigned a desk job at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. During his captivity, he was promoted to sergeant.
Ms. Youssef may be contacted via emails@thedailybeast.com
