--- title: Bowe Bergdahl Desertion Charge Was a Year in the Making description: Bowe Bergdahl's saga was TIME's cover story on June 16, 2014. canonical: https://time.com/3758604/bergdahl-sentence-2014-cover-story/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-25T19:01:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:19.111Z article:section: History og:title: Bergdahl Desertion Charge Was Months in the Making og:description: His saga was TIME's cover story on June 16, 2014 og:url: https://time.com/3758604/bergdahl-sentence-2014-cover-story/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba0214452e61730b/69878541e53aba78354d841a/bergdahl-cover.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 600 og:image:height: 338 og:image:alt: bergdahl-cover og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Bergdahl Desertion Charge Was Months in the Making twitter:description: His saga was TIME's cover story on June 16, 2014 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba0214452e61730b/69878541e53aba78354d841a/bergdahl-cover.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Desertion Charge for Bowe Bergdahl Was Months in the Making > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=55eab59c-7f99-41e8-a0c6-2ac5905657d0&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=55eab59c-7f99-41e8-a0c6-2ac5905657d0&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Here’s What That Bergdahl Video Really Shows [Watch (HLS stream): Here’s What That Bergdahl Video Really Shows](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PYBoRFho.m3u8) (2:58)  _Published 2014-06-04. TIME's Mark Thompson on what the video really means_  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 25, 2015 7:01 PM UTC  The June 16, 2014, cover of TIME The June 16, 2014, cover of TIME TIME Photo-illustration. Bergdahl: U.S. Army/Getty Images  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Mar 25, 2015 7:01 PM UTC Nearly a year after he was brought home through a prisoner exchange, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be court-martialed, a military official [revealed](http://time.com/3758651/bowe-bergdahl-desertion/) Wednesday. The charges will be “desertion and avoiding military service” as well as “misbehavior before the enemy.” An official U.S. military announcement will come later Wednesday. Last summer, when Bergdahl first returned to the United States, the chance that he might face such charges was already clear. Throughout a time of heated debate over the resources and compromises that had been necessary to bring him home, the Army promised to investigate what had happened. “Depending on the details, the facts of the case might support a charge of desertion–one of the most serious crimes a soldier can commit,” TIME’s David von Drehle explained. And the details were bedeviling. As the story continued: --- > “” --- **_Read the rest of the story here on TIME.com:_** [No Soldier Left Behind](http://time.com/2826276/bowe-bergdahl-no-soldier-left-behind/) ## Transcript The U. S. Military hasn't told us a lot yet about the rescue of Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban. However, the Taliban have released a video that offers us some clues and insights into what happened that day deep in the coast valley. We start by seeing Bergdahl sitting in the right rear seat of a pickup truck. His posture is unusual. In fact, his hands may be bound in some way underneath his thighs. He appears dazed at best, terrified at worst. At a minimum he seems plainly out of it. He listens as a masked captor, armed with an AK 47 leans into the vehicle, apparently giving him instructions. Bergdahl, wearing traditional Afghan garb under a striped white shawl, is pale and gaunt as if he's been inside for years. He's blinking incessantly as if he hasn't seen bright light for a long time either. A crude white flag raised by a Taliban on what appears to be a freshly cut branch declares that a temporary truce has been declared at this time and at this place. That's an important sign if we can believe it. Because most of the Taliban shown are armed with AK 47s and rocket propelled grenade launchers. Traditionally someone carrying a white flag is not to be fired upon. Bergdahl wipes dust or a tear from his left eye. Just before the Taliban speaking to him taps him softly three times on his right shoulder. One Taliban is armed with what appears to be a radio, apparently keeping superiors informed of what's happening on the ground. Finally, a helicopter appears overhead. The modified UH60 Blackhawk is the only U. S. military asset clearly seen in the video. But other aircraft are lurking around. Bergdahl stands outside the vehicle with one of his captures. His eyes seem to follow the descent of the approaching chopper. Bergdalh and a pair of Taliban meet with three US personal wearing civilian clothes. As Bergdahl is led to the helicopter, his gait appears unsteady. That could be because he'd been shackled for much of the time, including while he slept, following a reported escape attempt. A fellow American holds him by the left arm, hoping to ease him over the rough terrain. US troops wave goodbye to the Taliban, the Taliban wave back. Bergdahl, who never looks back, does not wave. US troops pat down Bergdahl before they let him into their helicopter. Filled with troops in uniform, that simple due diligence. Bergdahl could have been carrying a weapon or drugs and booby traps by his captors. The most critical part of the pick- up, of course, were the anonymous special operations forces on board Blackhawk Number 41. The touchdown for a minute deep inside enemy territory. They included a pair of pilots that kept the helicopter flying, the crew chief that kept it humming and the soldiers who escort Bergdahl across their helicopters threshold, bound for home. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3758604/bergdahl-sentence-2014-cover-story/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3758604/bergdahl-sentence-2014-cover-story/"},"headline":"The Desertion Charge for Bowe Bergdahl Was Months in the Making","datePublished":"2015-03-25T19:01:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:05:19.111Z","description":"Bergdahl's saga was TIME's cover story on June 16, 2014","url":"https://time.com/3758604/bergdahl-sentence-2014-cover-story/","keywords":["Military","Crime","Bowe Bergdahl"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba0214452e61730b/69878541e53aba78354d841a/bergdahl-cover.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltba0214452e61730b/69878541e53aba78354d841a/bergdahl-cover.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"bergdahl-cover","caption":"The June 16, 2014, cover of TIME","creditText":"TIME Photo-illustration. 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