U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl returns to court December 22 for an appearance before a U.S. military judge in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The army recently announced that the soldier who disappeared in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years will face a general court martial on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
If convicted, Bergdahl could get life in prison on the misbehavior charge and up to five years for desertion.
Bergdahl's May 2014 release in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, touched off a firestorm of controversy.
Some of Bergdahl's former comrades have accused him of putting their lives in danger during the army's extensive search to rescue him after he disappeared.
His lawyers have argued that Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's labeling of Bergdahl a "dirty, rotten traitor" may prejudice jurors against him.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP