Bowe Bergdahl returns to Army duty six weeks after being a captive

[Tropicana]

Wow seems really quick to me but then I don't have a military background. What is the thinking behind throwing him back in there so quickly? Isn't this putting too much pressure on him?

t. Bowe Bergdahl was freed from Taliban captivity six weeks ago. Now, he has completed treatment at a military hospital in Texas and is being returned to active duty, Army officials said Monday.

In a statement, officials said Bergdahl had “completed the final phase of the reintegration process” and would “now return to regular duty” at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, the same base where he has been receiving medical treatment and counseling.

But Bergdahl’s future remains in limbo until the Army completes an investigation into his disappearance in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009, when he was taken captive after apparently leaving his post without permission.
He is expected to be interviewed soon by Brig Gen. Kenneth Dahl, who was appointed last month to lead the investigation.Berghdahl will work at headquarters of U.S. Army North, a command that oversees domestic defense.

Bergdahl, who was promoted to sergeant during his time as a captive, will live in noncommissioned officer quarters and work with other soldiers “who are providing leadership and guidance,” according to Donald E. Manuszewski, a spokesman for U.S. Army North.

When off duty, Bergdahl will be free to have the base unescorted and go where he wants, according to an Army official. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss details of Bergdahl’s treatment.

Bergdahl, 28, was in good physical condition when he was released by the Taliban May 31 after nearly five years as a prisoner of war, but he has struggled with psychological issues, according to military officials.
The Army has refused to say whether Bergdahl has spoken to his parents in Idaho. They led a public campaign to gain his release and were invited to the White House the day he was freed.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-bowe-bergdahl-returned-to-regular-duty-20140714-story.html

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Bergdahl is warned his statements could be used in his prosecution

Under investigation for possible desertion, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been warned that incriminating statements he makes as he undergoes treatment after nearly five years in Taliban captivity could be used to prosecute him, Army officials said Wednesday.
Bergdahl has not been formally told that he can have a defense attorney and other rights, although his disappearance from a base in eastern Afghanistan in 2009 is under investigation, said the officials, who asked that their names not be disclosed in discussing Bergdahl's case with reporters.

The doctors and therapists assisting Bergdahl in Texas are focusing on the five years he spent in captivity, not his disappearance. Army officials said there was no indication that Bergdahl was guilty of any misconduct while he was held captive, so there was no reason yet to inform him of his legal rights.
He has not made any incriminating statements or asked for a lawyer, the officials said.

Bergdahl was released May 31 as part of a controversial prisoner exchange with the Taliban that freed five Afghan prisoners who were being held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

A previous Army investigation in 2009, which has not been made public, concluded that Bergdahl left his post without permission after growing disenchanted with the Army and the war in Afghanistan, according to officials familiar with the findings. Bergdahl has said in a video released by his captors that he was taken prisoner after falling behind on a patrol.

Bergdahl has not been interviewed yet by the two-star general who is conducting the investigation into his disappearance, the officials said. The 28-year-old sergeant could be charged with being absent without leave, or desertion.
Desertion cases are typically determined by circumstantial evidence, according to Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School. He said a potential desertion case could be made against Bergdahl.
"The fact is that he left his unit, left his gear, sent some stuff to his home. That we know," Fidell said. "And he had expressed some sympathy for the plight of the Afghan people."

If he is convicted, Bergdahl could face a dishonorable discharge or imprisonment for up to five years.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-bergdahl-army-20140626-story.html

[Tropicana]

Wel at least they are still giving him support.

Despite being held captive in Pakistan for five years, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has refused contact with his parents in the four weeks since his release, according to an Army official.The Wall Street Journal has reported Sgt Bergdahl - who started a desk job at the army headquarters on Monday as part of his return to duty - has chosen not to see or speak to his parents
The family have not commented on the situation, and the cause of the tension is not known.
Following the controversial decision to trade Sgt. Bergdahl for five Guantanamo Bay detainees, his parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, appeared at a White House announcement alongside President Barack Obama.
The estrangement comes after it was revealed Bergdahl may also receive $350,000 from the US government without paying taxes: $200,000 would be for wages earned during his captivity and $150,000 if he in fact was a prisoner of war, according to Fox News.
Money earned while in a combat zone is excluded, per IRS regulations.
Bergdahl will also have a sponsor as he returns to work as a 'normal soldier' with a desk job.
The sponsor is described as 'a person who's designated, not only for him, but for every soldier in Army North [...] and assists with assimilating into the unit.'
The sponsor helps with 'very basic administrative functions,' such '[helping become] a part of the unit, processing records, becoming familiar with the day to day schedule.'


In a statement, the Army said that the soldier 'has completed the final phase of the reintegration process under the control of U.S. Army South and is currently being assigned to U.S. Army North, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston (JBSA).'

'He will now return to regular duty within the command where he can contribute to the mission. The Army investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the disappearance and capture of Bergdahl is still ongoing.'
According to the New York Times, Bergdahl was in therapy at Fort Sam Houston and will meet with Major General Kenneth R. Dahl, the head of the Army's investigation.


Since his return from Afghanistan, Sgt. Bergdahl has been involved in debriefings with his superiors, the paper said.

Just last week, a photo of Bergdahl, smiling and posing with a former senior Taliban official in Afghanistan was posted on Twitter.


The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) confirmed Bergdahl was photographed next to Taliban Commander Badruddin Haqqani, a senior member of the Haqqani network in Afghanistan.

The son of Haqqani head Jalaluddin Haqqani, he reportedly handled everyday operations and was killed in a U.S. drone strike in August 2012, CNN said at the time.

Later @khorasan tweeted a series of messages in which they claimed Bergdahl was never tortured by the Taliban and only treated with kindness during his five years in captivity.


Former POW Bergdahl was controversially released by the Taliban in May in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Last week it emerged that Bergdahl is being allowed to wander off the Texas base and while under supervision he has visited a library, a supermarket, stores and fast-food chains near the camp.

Bergdahl alternates between civilian and military clothing and shakes hands with passerby when they recognize him, an Army spokesperson told CNN.
The details have emerged as soldiers who served with Bergdahl before he left his post in Afghanistan in 2009 revealed to Fox News they have still not been contacted by military investigators.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2692500/Bowe-Bergdahl-refused-speak-parents-released-SIX-weeks-ago-receive-350-000-tax-free-returns-active-duty-week.html