Bowe Bergdahl Released From Hospital
Three weeks after being released from a five year captivity, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been released from an Army hospital in Texas into outpatient care:
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been released from the Texas hospital he was admitted to when he arrived back in the U.S. more than a week ago, the Army said Sunday.
Bergdahl is now receiving medical and psychological outpatient care on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, an Army spokesman told NBC News.
The spokesman said Bergdahl’s “reintegration” process was progressing with “exposure to more people and a gradual increase of social interactions.” It is unclear if Bergdahl has seen his parents yet.Bergdahl is being counseled and debriefed to “ensure he progresses to the point where he can return to duty,” the spokesman said. His location will not be released in order to “safeguard” the reintegration process.
Given some of the reports I had seen about the course of treatment Bergdahl would be receiving and how long it might last, it’s somewhat surprising that he’s been released this early but I suppose the doctors know what they’re doing. No doubt, the fact that Bergdahl remains an active duty member of the military and will be living on base going forward, thus shielding him from unwanted media attention, played a role in that decision.
So much for them deserter charges, eh?
@James Pearce:
The question of whether or not he unlawfully absented himself from duty in 2009 remains under investigation.
AWOL, if proven, is not desertion. Return to active duty implies no desertion, I think. But perhaps it’s just loose language.
@Doug Mataconis:
It’s been under investigation since 2009.
I just find it funny that the army is putting him through a “reintegration process” and working to “ensure he progresses to the point where he can return to duty” when he’s supposedly a deserter.
@James Pearce:
From everything I’ve read that would be SOP. He is, after all, still an active duty member of the military.
@Doug Mataconis:
SOP for a returned POW, or SOP for someone suspected of desertion?
@James Pearce:
SOP for any active duty member of the military, which is all that Bergdahl is at this point
@Doug Mataconis:
Yes, but reading between the lines, it sounds like the army is preparing to throw him back into the world, not preparing charges.
The investigators will talk to him once this “reintegration process” is complete. Maybe their spokespeople will have a different tone.
If he is under investigation they can place him under restriction and send him back to duty, put him in pretrial confinement (unlikely), send back to duty wo restriction, allow him to go on leave or pass. Lot of options. His records will be flagged which prevents promotion or etsing but not going on leave or pass or off base.
Forgot. Sending back to work has no bearing on what he is later charged with Or if he is charged. I still bet there are no charges and he is medically separated
@Mike:
That’s a safe bet, I would say.
This is a pretty good example, I’d say, of why we prefer an “innocent until proven guilty” approach versus, say, how Bergdahl has been prosecuted in the press.
His location should certainly not be released to Darrell Issa and his Committee.
This is tea party America pal. “Innocent until Rush says otherwise” is the new standard.
@James Pearce: he hasn’t been around to give his side of the story- now he is. it’ll be a lengthy investigation i imagine.
@bill:
It’s unlikely that the Bergdahl interview will provide the evidence needed to blow the “desertion” case wide open.
They will have to read him his art 31 rights. 10 to 1 odds he invokes his right to remain silent and there goes that investigatory angle unless they want to immunize him which would make the GOP’s heads explode