Bowe Bergdahl, who was the only American Prisoner of War in Afghanistan, will be charged with desertion, according to reports.
Senior defense officials told NBC News that the charges are likely to be referred by the end of the week. Retired Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer also told Fox News last night that the Army has decided to charge Bergdahl with desertion, citing two sources.
Bergdahl arrived back in the U.S. in June after being held by the Taliban for five years. In exchange for his release, the Obama administration turned over five Guantanamo Bay prisoners, a move that was widely criticized in Washington.
Bergdahl’s fellow soldiers also called him a deserter, not a hero, with several telling the media that he put them in danger by wantering off his case.
Officials told NBC News that it is alleged that Bergdahl abandoned his outpost in June 2009. One source said that his actions go beyond AWOL since he allegedly abandoned the post “in the middle of a combat zone, potentially putting the lives of his fellows soldiers at risk.”