Army: Bergdahl Is Being Charged with Desertion, Misbehavior Before the Enemy

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Is Charged With Desertion (NPR)

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in 2009, after he walked off his military outpost in southeastern Afghanistan. In a controversial move and five years after his capture, the Obama administration cut a deal with the Taliban, securing Bergdahl's release in exchange for the release of five Taliban detainees who were being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

In December, the Pentagon referred Bergdahl's case to an Army general, who would determine whether he should be charged.

There will be an Article 32 hearing on April 22 at Fort Sam Houston to "decide if there's probable cause" to begin court-martial proceedings. The closest analog to that hearing in the civilian system is a grand jury investigation.