Bowe Bergdahl Planned To Abandon Post For Weeks, Military Prosecutor Says
Bowe Bergdahl planned for weeks to abandon his Army post, a military prosecutor stated during a court martial hearing on Thursday. Bergdahl walked off his post in June 2009. He was held captive by the Taliban for five years. President Obama swapped five Taliban detainees at Gitmo for Bergdahl, 29, in 2014.
“Under the cover of darkness, he snuck off the post,” Major Margaret Kurz stated during a pre-court martial hearing.
Bergdahl was given the rank of sergeant during his time spent with the Taliban. Should the military court decides that the man accused of desertion should face a court martial, he could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted, USA Today reports.
Thousands of American soldiers searched for Bergdahl for 45 days, Major Kurz also stated during the court hearing. The accused Army deserter has been assigned to the San Antonio, Texas Fort Sam Houston military base since his retrieval from the Taliban.
Captain John Billings, who was Bowe Bergdahl’s platoon leader, also spoke at the military hearing on Thursday. Captain Billings said that soldiers found Bergdahl’s rifle and equipment abandoned next to his tent on June 30, 2009. Prior to walking off his post, the accused deserter mailed both his Kindle tablet and his computer home to his parents, Major Kurz added.
Bergdahl’s attorney, Eugene Fidell, admitted that his client did walk away from his post, but claimed that the sergeant did not abandon the Army “generally,” ABC News reports.
“[His] specific intent was to bring what he thought were disturbing circumstances to the attention of the nearest general officer,” Fidell alleged.
Soldier Darryn Andrews was reportedly killed in a Taliban attack while on the Bowe Bergdahl search and rescue team.
Andy Andrews, the brother of the slain soldier, had this to say about Bergdahl.
“People need to be aware that Bergdahl was not a hero and Americans lives have been lost trying to save this deserter. For his family it’s good to get him back but we will never be able to get our son back because of the actions of this guy. The soldiers said they had to sign a letter saying they would not discuss this. I have no way of proving that apart from what they said. We cannot tell you how devastated we are that the government would do this. It’s a big cover-up like Benghazi, just like everything Obama has done. We want the truth to come out.”
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Bowe Bergdahl was found on a marijuana farm in California during a police raid in July. Bergdahl was on leave and able to travel as he wished while awaiting the court-martial hearing. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Captain Greg Van Patten told Fox News that Bergdahl was detained during a Redwood City pot raid but was only visiting the residence and was not arrested or charged with any crime. California deputies were reportedly asked for “assistance” getting Bergdahl back to the base by the Defense Department. Officers drove the controversial solder to a halfway point and handed him over to Army officials.
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