Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s high-profile court-martial has finally been scheduled. The trial will take place on Aug. 8 at the Fort Bragg Courthouse and continue until Aug. 19.
We’re marking that date on our calendars as (hopefully) that last time we have to talk about this guy.
If you feel like you’ve heard of nothing but Bergdahl Bergdahl Bergdahl on the news, that’s because this trial has been several years in the making. Bergdahl walked away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 in order to report perceived flaws and corruption in his unit’s leadership at another American base. Instead, he was captured by the Taliban and held hostage for five years. In 2014, President Obama controversially traded five Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl’s safety.
Every step of the way was heavily reported and debated by the media, politicians and the military community.
But coming back to the United States didn’t mean that Bergdahl was home free. In March 2015, he was charged with desertion and in September the Army added misbehavior before the enemy to the mix. The Army conducted a long Article 32 investigation to determine whether Bergdahl even could be court-martialed, but eventually decided to move forward with the trial in December 2015.
Meanwhile, Bergdahl has been telling his story through the popular podcast ‘Serial,’ providing more context–and more evidence–for his actions in Afghanistan. The podcast’s weekly updates constantly circulate Bergdahl’s names in the news, usually alongside bizarre references to Jason Bourne, golden chickens and President Obama.
The timeline of the entire Bergdahl mess–from his delusional decision to leave his post in 2009 to his eventual trial in 2016–spans seven years. Maybe after his trial in August, we can finally stop rehashing this story and move forward.