(Fort Bragg, NC) – Disgraced soldier SGT Bowe Bergdahl has pleaded guilty this morning to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. He told the judge presiding over his court-martial, COL Jeffery R. Nance, that he did indeed leave his post in Afghanistan on his own and confirmed: “I understand leaving was against the law.”
Bergdahl’s defense team confirmed during the pre-trial hearing that no plea deal had been reached with the prosecution prior to entering the plea and acknowledged that they were leaving his fate entirely up to COL Nance. This type of plea, where the accused throws themselves at the mercy of the court, is commonly called a “naked plea,” as the defendant has no protection from receiving the maximum sentence for all charges.
The 31-year-old had been charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The desertion charge carries a maximum imprisonment of five years; the more serious charge of misbehavior carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. In addition to confinement, Bergdahl faces the loss of all rank, loss of all pay, and a dishonorable discharge.
A dishonorable discharge would make Bergdahl unable to collect VA benefits, to include disability, medical, and education benefits for the rest of his life. Both Bergdahl and his attorneys had expressed concern over the loss of disability pay and medical treatment, as they claim he will require medical attention for the rest of his life. In the unlikely case that he does indeed retain benefits, the American taxpayer will shoulder that burden.
In an interview released this weekend, Bergdahl claimed that he would be unable to receive a fair trial after President Trump’s comments during his election campaign. COL Nance had ruled repeatedly that this was simply not the case; in the interview, Bergdahl then referred to his court-martial as a “kangaroo court.”
Sentencing is scheduled to begin on October 23rd, where service members who were severely wounded during attempts to locate Bergdahl after he abandoned his post in 2009 are expected to testify about the human cost of Bergdahl’s desertion.
