The U.S. Army’s desertion case against Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl progressed a step, with an investigating officer who oversaw a hearing last month sending recommendations on whether he should be court-martialed.
Bergdahl’s attorney said that Lieutenant Colonel Mark A. Visger submitted his recommendations to U.S. Army Forces Command October 5. They will remain secret for now, despite Bergdahl's protests.
In the high-profile case, Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban after leaving his unit in Afghanistan and held captive for nearly five years until the White House approved a deal last year that freed him in exchange for the release of five Taliban prisoners. The Army launched a massive manhunt to find him that lasted months.
General Robert B. Abrams, commanding general of the Command, will decide whether the Army court-martials Bergdahl.
Legal experts say the soldier has a good chance of avoiding imprisonment even if he is formally tried on the charges, because of the torture and abuse he suffered at the hands of the Taliban.
