The Preliminary Hearing For U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Begins With Gripping Testimony From His Commanders

Daily Beast: Bowe Bergdahl’s Commanders Detail Their Frantic, Dangerous Search

Forget counterinsurgency—in the weeks after the sergeant’s disappearance, troops from his post risked their lives to scour the area and slept outdoors, commanders testified Thursday.

In nearly three weeks of frantic searching for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, troops were forced to sleep outside after hiking through nearby mountains.

They spooned to stay warm at night and even had to eat dirt, said Maj. Silvino S. Silvino, then the commander of Bergdahl’s Blackfoot Company.

The 33 soldiers who were with Bergdahl at Observation Post Mest were worn ragged during the 2009 search, dubbed “Operation Yukon Recovery,” three witnesses testified Thursday in the first day of Bergdahl’s Article 32 hearing. And troops abandoned counterinsurgency efforts as a direct result of Bergdahl’s disappearance, a witness told the hearing.

WNU Editor: Reading the testimony it is obvious that Bowe Bergdahl's former fellow soldiers are clearly "pissed-off" with him.

More News On The Preliminary Hearing For U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl

A look at Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s Article 32 hearing -- AP
Bowe Bergdahl’s former officer: ‘Absolute disbelief that I couldn’t find one of my men.’ -- Washington Post
Prosecutor: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl planned for weeks to abandon post -- USA Today
Platoon leader describes grueling 2009 search for Bergdahl -- AP
SEAL wounded in rescue try: ‘I want him to be accountable’ -- Boston Herald