The Defense Department has confirmed that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has arrived in the U.S. after five years of Taliban captivity. It was reported Thursday that he would be on his way home after receiving treatment at the military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.
Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby confirmed early Friday that Bergdahl has arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. There, he will continue a “reintegration process.”
“Our focus remains on his health and well-being,” Kirby added. He explained that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ensured that Bergdahl will be given all the time he needs to fully recover.
Bergdahl was the only U.S. POW in Afghanistan and was finally released on May 31 after the White House exchanged five Guantanamo Bay prisoners with the Taliban for Bergdahl’s release. That move has been widely criticized in Washington, but the Obama Administration has said that it needed to move fast and that Bergdahl’s life was in danger.
Earlier this week, Hagel spoke before the House Armed Services Committee, which asked him questions about why it was taking so long for Bergdahl to return to the U.S. In today’s announcement, the Pentagon stressed that the three-step integration process can vary for an individual as they help the soldier get acclimated to normal life.
Some of Bergdahl’s colleagues have said that he was a deserter, wandering off his base, which lead to his capture. The Pentagon said it will investigate the circumstances of Bergdahl’s release.
When Bergdahl eventually gets back to his home in Hailey, Idaho, there will not be a hero's welcome due to the controversy surrounding his capture and release.