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A Timeline Of Bowe Bergdahl's 5 Years In Captivity

A Timeline Of Bowe Bergdahl's 5 Years In Captivity

Credit Taliban Propaganda Video Screengrab



Bowe Bergdahl was born on March 28, 1986 to Bob and Jani Bergdahl in Sun Valley, Idaho. Bowe was raised in neighboring Hailey, Idaho, where his parents still live.

On June 30, 2009, then 23-year-old Bowe Bergdahl is widely reported to have walked off his Army base in Afghanistan. Less than a month later, the Washington Post reports, Bergdahl appeared in the first of several Taliban-affiliated videos. In it, Bergdahl "says he was captured after lagging behind during a patrol," writes the Post.

Here's a timeline of events.

May 2008: Bergdahl enlists in the U.S. Army

June 30, 2009: Bergdahl reported missing

July 2, 2009: CNN reports a U.S. military official says Bergdahl is being held by the clan of warlord Siraj Haqqani.

July 18, 2009: The Taliban posts a video of Bergdahl.

Dec. 25, 2009: Bergdahl's captor's release a second video of the solider.

April 7, 2010: The Washington Post reports that the Taliban "posts a video showing Bergdahl pleading to be sent home and saying the war in Afghanistan is not worth the human cost."

June 2010: The U.S. Army promotes Bergdahl to specialist.

Dec. 7, 2010: CNN reports Bergdahl's captors release a 45-minute video showing a thinner soldier.

Feb. 2011: Bergdahl's captors release another video.

May 6, 2011: Bergdahl's father, Bob, posts a YouTube video asking for his son's release.

June 16, 2011: The U.S. Army promotes Bergdahl to sergeant.

May 9, 2012: Bob and Jani Bergdahl give an interview to the New York Times.  The Bergdahls say the U.S. government is engaged in secret negotiations with the Taliban over a possible prisoner swap.

June 6, 2013: Bergdahl’s family announces that “through the International Committee of the Red Cross, we recently received a letter we’re confident was written to us by our son.”

Jan. 15, 2014: Bergdahl's captors release a proof-of-life video. Still unreleased publicly, the video reportedly shows Bergdahl in declining health.

Feb. 23, 2014: The Taliban says it suspended prisoner-swap talks with the United States government.

April 24, 2014: The U.S. government says prisoner-swap talks aren't disorganized. 

May 31, 2014: The U.S. government announces Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was released by his captors in exchange for five U.S. detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

March 25, 2015: Following a U.S. Military investigation, the Army announced Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be charged with desertion, avoiding military service, and misbehavior before the enemy.

This information was compiled from various media reports including The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, The Associated Press, Northwest News Network.