Army: Bergdahl could face court-martial

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The Army's decision Monday to forward the investigation of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for possible court-martial means the former prisoner of war will remain on active duty and in legal limbo for months to come.

The Army has not determined whether Bergdahl, who spent five years as a captive under the Taliban, is eligible for the lump-sum back pay that is traditionally provided to prisoners of war who return home. In Bergdahl's case, he could be eligible for more than $200,000.

For now Bergdahl, 28, remains assigned to a desk job at an Army headquarters unit in San Antonio. The Army declined to release any details of the six-month investigation into the the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

Then-Spc. Bergdahl was accused of intentionally leaving his remote patrol base alone shortly before he was captured by Taliban insurgents in 2009. Legal experts say the allegations suggest charges of desertion or violation of a lawful order could apply.

In a short statement issued Monday, the Army said the general courts-martial convening authority in the case, Gen. Mark Milley, commanding general of Army Forces Command, will determine "appropriate action," which could range from no further action to a full-blown court-martial.

The case presents a challenge for the Army's leadership, which has to decide whether to punish a soldier who spent five years as a prisoner of war or essentially overlook the allegations of misconduct that surrounded his disappearance.

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