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.

In Bowe Bergdahl's Release, As Many Questions As Answers

NPR | By Krishnadev Calamur

Published June 2, 2014 at 12:08 PM MDT

A sign supporting Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is seen in Hailey, Idaho, on Sunday. Bergdahl, the sole American prisoner of war held in Afghanistan, was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany on Sunday after being freed in a swap deal for five Taliban militants who were released from the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

The release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five senior members of the Taliban has been both welcomed as well as criticized.

Here's a look at why the release of a prisoner of war, usually a cause for unalloyed celebration, is proving so divisive.

Who is Bowe Bergdahl?

Bergdahl is an American soldier from Hailey, Idaho, who was captured by the Taliban in June 2009. At the time of his capture, Bergdahl held the rank of private first class, but he was promoted in absentia to sergeant in June 2011.

Here's more from Jessica Robison of the Northwest News Network, who has been following the case closely:

"He defied stereotypes. Around town, he was known as an excellent marksman, and a ballet dancer. He loved to be alone in the mountains but was also happy just talking to people in town. Friends say Bergdahl also craved a way to do something important in the world — and in 2008 Bergdahl saw enlisting in the Army as his opportunity."

How was he captured?

Details are murky. In a video released by the Taliban a month after his capture, Bergdahl said he lagged behind while on patrol.

The Associated Press has varying accounts of how he disappeared. In one, U.S. officials said the soldier walked off his base with three Afghans. Another account suggested Bergdahl was captured during an attack on his post. The Taliban, meanwhile, said they'd captured a "drunken American soldier."

What is the reaction to his release?

At a news conference in Boise, Idaho, Bob Bergdahl, Bowe's father, said he was proud of his son's commitment to the Afghan people. His mother, Jani Bergdahl, said: "Five years is a seemingly endless long time, but you've made it. ... You are free. Freedom is yours. I will see you soon, my beloved son."

And as Jessica Robison reported on Monday's Morning Edition, residents of Hailey welcomed the release.

"To have Bowe home safely is the most important thing," said Carmen Northen, who attends the same Presbyterian church as the Bergdahls.

Those sentiments were echoed by the Boise Valley POW/MIA Corp.

But those views are far from universal. Some congressional lawmakers criticized the manner in which he was released, and some service members have criticized Bergdahl's reported actions.

Why the controversy?

There are two aspects to this question: The first is Bergdahl's reported views and possible actions, and the second is the Obama administration's handling of the negotiations that led to the soldier's release.

The first: In 2012, Rolling Stone published what it said were emails sent by Bergdahl to his parents soon after his deployment to Afghanistan. In them, the soldier said he was considering deserting from the Army because he was disillusioned.

The emails quote Bergdahl saying he was "ashamed to even be American."

Also, as The Washington Post reports, many of his fellow soldiers consider Bergdahl a deserter who "needs to be held accountable for his choices."

The second: Many lawmakers are concerned that the senior Taliban officials released in exchange for Bergdahl may return to action. The five were considered likely to pose a "threat to the U.S., its interest and allies."

But as NPR's Eyder Peralta noted on Saturday: "U.S. officials said working with the government of Qatar, they had ameliorated some of those risks, because the detainees will face restrictions on their movements and activities."

Lawmakers are also concerned that the administration negotiated with the Taliban. But administration officials point out that the talks were indirect and were mediated by the government of Qatar. Also, the Afghan Taliban does not appear on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations (the Pakistani Taliban is on the list).

One more point of concern: The administration is required by law to give Congress 30 days' notice before prisoners are released from Guantanamo Bay. But as NPR's Tamara Keith reported on Monday's Morning Edition: "The Department of Defense consulted with the Department of Justice and concluded that there were unique and exigent circumstances."

Despite the administration's assurances, Tamara says: "You can better believe that there will be a whole slew of congressional hearings on all aspects of this."

Further reading

Behind Bowe Bergdahl's Release, A Secret Deal That Took Three Years

Mixed Reaction To Bergdahl's Recovery By Service Members Who Consider Him A Deserter

America's Last Prisoner Of War

Prisoner Trade Yields Rare View Into The Taliban