A court martial at Ft. Bragg North Carolina today handed Bowe Bergdahl a sentence of no prison time for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Col. Jeffrey Nance sentenced the Sergeant, who until this morning was technically stationed at Ft. Sam Houston with Army North, to be reduced in rank to E-1, which is the lowest grade, lose all pay and benefits, and receive a Dishonorable Discharge.
The Dishonorable Discharge, or a 'punitive' discharge, is a serious punishment, because it will make Bergdahl not eligible for the Veterans Administration or Department of Defense medical care for the physical and mental wounds he suffered as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan for five years.
Bergdahl could have gotten up to life in prison after pleading guilty to both charges at the court martial at Forces Command Ft. Bragg North Carolina.
The prosecution called testimony from two soldiers and a Navy SEAL who suffered debilitating wounds during a search for Bergdahl, after he abandoned his post in Afghanistan.
The defense pointed out that Bergdahl suffered torture at the hands of the Taliban, and they also cited President Trump's campaign comments that Bergdahl is a 'no good traitor.' They said that 'sent a clear message' to U.S. forces that what Bergdahl did was 'unacceptable,' and said additional prison to send a message would be 'redundant.'
This ends the saga of Bergdahl, who was a patient at BAMC for several months after his exchange for five high ranking Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay back in 2014.