Pentagon Outlines The Penalties That Bowe Bergdahl Would Face If It Is Proven That He Went AWOL

U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl waits in a pick-up truck before he is freed at the Afghan border, in this still image from video released June 4, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Al-Emara via Reuters TV

Pentagon Clarifies What Could Happen To Bowe Bergdahl If He Went AWOL -- Christian Science Monitor

The Pentagon has not yet begun its investigation into the circumstances that led to the capture of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. But the Pentagon explained what it will be looking into and how that could affect the sergeant.

Washington — If the US Army determines that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl wandered off his small outpost in Afghanistan without authorization – in other words, if he was absent without leave – this will effectively negate his status as a “captured” soldier, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Sergeant Bergdahl may be classified as captured, absent without leave (AWOL), or a deserter. “They are all mutually exclusive,” said a senior Army official, who briefed Pentagon reporters Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

While it is possible for a US soldier to be AWOL and also to be held against his will, “In a legal context, you’re going to be one or the other,” the official added.

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My Comment: My gut is telling me that he is not going to get his back pay.