No Jail Time For Bowe Bergdahl

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked out of a military courtroom a free man after a judge ruled on Friday that the former Taliban hostage will not be serving time in prison, according to CNN.

Bergdahl was charged with desertion after he reportedly left his post in Afghanistan and was subsequently captured by Taliban soldiers. Bergdahl was held captive for more than five years until he was released as part of a prisoner swap.

Bergdahl, 31, pleaded guilty to misbehavior before the enemy and desertion charges and was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge from the Army, reduction in rank to private, along with a $1o,000 fine and forfeiture of all military benefits.

Prosecutors had originally pursued a 14-year sentence for Bergdahl who they said willingly left his post and placed his fellow soldiers in danger who were tasked with conducting the search for him. Several soldiers were wounded, with one suffering injuries that ended his military career during the search for Begdahl.

Controversy began to swirl around the incident after questions were raised about the circumstances that led to Bergdahl’s capture. The military was originally tight-lipped about exactly what took place, but information started surfacing that pointed toward Bergdahl’s intentional desertion.

After Bergdahl’s release, Donald Trump, who was then a presidential candidate, made several comments about the incident and even called for Bergdahl’s summary execution. It was for this reason, according to a BBC interview with Bergdahl, that he decided to plead guilty, citing that Trumps remarks prevented him from getting a fair trial.

Bergdahl has maintained that he left his post in an attempt to make a report against his superiors, but never intended for anyone to be harmed as a result of his actions. Bergdahl also expressed his regret that fellow soldiers became casualties during their search for him.

It is unclear whether Gen. Robert Abrams, the convening authority in the court-martial, took Trump’s statements into consideration during the sentencing phase of Bergdahl’s case. Abrams did not make any statements after pronouncing the sentence.

Defense attorneys presented evidence that Bergdahl suffered from a condition called schizotypal personality disorder, along with post-traumatic stress disorder, that made it difficult to understand the consequences of his actions.

Prosecutors, however, painted a different picture of Bergdahl, saying that he knew exactly what he was doing. In the end, defense attorneys argued that five years of captivity and alleged torture at the hands of the Taliban, along with a dishonorable discharge was punishment enough.

However, the embattled former soldier’s troubles may just be getting started. President Donald Trump weighed in on the military court’s decision, calling it “a disgrace.”

“The decision on Sergeant Bergdahl is a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military,” Trump tweeted on Friday.

Although Bergdahl’s case is officially closed from a legal standpoint, having such a powerful and vocal opponent as the President of the United States, may present a completely new set of problems for Bergdahl.

[Featured Image by Ted Richardson/AP Images]