Army Launches Probe into How Bowe Bergdahl Left Base

The U.S. Army said Monday that it has begun investigating the departure from base and subsequent capture of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

“The primary function of this investigation, as in any other investigation, is to ascertain facts and report them to the appointing authority,” the Army said in a statement. “These types of investigations are not uncommon and serve to establish the facts on the ground following an incident.”

The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s 2009 departure from a base in Afghanistan has been under close scrutiny ever since he was released last last month after five years in Taliban captivity, in exchange for five Guantanamo Bay detainees. Bergdahl returned to the U.S. late last week and remains under medical care; he won’t talk to investigators until doctors clear him to do so.

“The Army’s top priority remains Sgt. Bergdahl’s health and reintegration,” the Army said. “We ask that everyone respect the time and privacy necessary to accomplish the objectives of the last phase of reintegration.”