Bergdahl won’t serve prison time

A military judge decided Bowe Bergdahl should serve no prison time for abandoning his post in Afghanistan, which led to his capture by the Taliban. The judge gave Bergdahl a dishonorable discharge, reduced his rank to private, and ordered him to forfeit pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months. Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and faced up to life in prison. Prosecutors sought stiff punishment because some service members were wounded in the search for Bergdahl after he disappeared in 2009. But the defense argued Bergdahl already suffered harsh consequences during his five-year captivity, and his contributions to military intelligence and survival instruction mitigated the damage his actions caused.