Bergdahl expected to plead guilty in desertion case



Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is set to plead guilty Monday to charges he endangered comrades by walking away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 -- the court case wrapping up just three years after a stunning Rose Garden spectacle in which former President Barack Obama, flanked by Bergdahl's parents, triumphantly announced the soldier's release from captivity.

Bergdahl was released in May 2014 after a highly-criticized deal in which five Taliban terrorists were set free. At the time, Obama administration officials said Bergdahl had "served with honor and distinction."
The U.S. Army said Bergdahl asked to enter his plea before the military judge at Fort Bragg. The Associated Press previously reported that he's expected to plead guilty to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

It's not clear if Bergdahl, 31, has a deal with prosecutors to limit his punishment, or if he's simply pleading guilty in hopes of leniency from the judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance. The misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while the desertion charge is punishable by up to five years.

Bergdahl's lawyers are expected to reveal in court Monday whether there's a plea agreement in place to cap his punishment, or if he's pleading guilty without such a deal in what's known colloquially as a "naked plea." In either scenario, his punishment won't be known until after the judge holds the sentencing hearing that's expected to start on Oct. 23. Bergdahl, who's from Hailey, Idaho, previously chose to have his case heard by a judge alone, rather than a jury.
Serious wounds to service members who searched for Bergdahl are expected to play a role in his sentencing. While guilty pleas would allow him to avoid a trial, he'd still face a sentencing hearing in late October. Bergdahl's five years of captivity by the Taliban and its allies also will likely play a role in what punishment he receives.

At one point during his captivity, Bergdahl converted to Islam, fraternized openly with his captors and declared himself a "mujahid," or warrior for Islam
Defense attorneys have acknowledged that Bergdahl walked off his base without authorization. Bergdahl himself told a general during a preliminary investigation that he left intending to cause alarm and draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit. He was soon captured.

Bergdahl has been assigned to desk duty at a Texas Army base while his case unfolds.

Post coming from a Vietnam combat vet...I hope he gets to spend the rest of his life at the Fort Leavenworth disciplinary barracks...

Hang him, hang him high as they used to say!

I wonder why Obamma didn't pardon him?
Can Presidents pardon the military?

Yes, Obama could have pardoned Bergdahl but the Obama administration chose not to act on the pardon request by Bergdahl...Makes one wonder since he commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning...