Idaho News

A Timeline Of Bowe Bergdahl's 5 Years In Captivity

00000176-d8fc-dce8-adff-faff728f0003Bowe 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. ArmyJune 30, 2009: Bergdahl reported missingJuly 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.

War Prisoner For Nearly 4 Years, Bergdahl's Parents Confirm New Correspondence

Boise State Public Radio News | By Frankie Barnhill

Published June 6, 2013 at 1:25 PM MDT

Parents of captured Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl recently had some good news. The family says they received a handwritten letter from Bergdahl who's been held as a prisoner of war by the Taliban for almost four years. The letter's confirmation came about two months after their son turned 27.

The International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] helped to get the letter to the family in Hailey, Idaho.

According to Colonel Tim Marsano, who speaks for the family, this is the first time Bowe’s parents have heard from their son in about two years. He says they’re confident the letter is from Bowe – they confirmed it from the handwriting.

Marsano is impressed with how the family is holding up.

“I don’t know how they do it," he says. "They’re very very strong people, they lean one another for support. And they also get a lot of support from other members of their family, friend, and the community. I think what they’re getting is really what they need in this letter right now; a little bit more of a glimmer of hope.”

Marsano has not seen the letter himself, and is unable to give details about its content. It’s still unclear where Bowe is being held, and what condition he’s in.

Here is the statement from the Bergdahl family:

“Through the International Committee of the Red Cross, we recently received a letter we’re confident was written to us by our son Bowe. "Our family is greatly relieved and encouraged by this letter, which gives us hope that Bowe is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. We thank the ICRC for all their assistance and support over these past four years. We want to also thank the many individuals, private groups and agencies who are working to support us and bring Bowe home. We hope Bowe’s captors will again consider his parents’ plea to release him, but in the meantime, we ask that you please continue to keep him in good health and allow him to keep corresponding with us.”

Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban in 2009. He is the only known POW from the war in Afghanistan.

War Prisoner For Nearly 4 Years, Bergdahl's Parents Confirm New Correspondence

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