US military launches investigation into Bergdahl disappearance

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/16/us-military-investigation-bowe-bergdahl

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The US military said on Monday it had begun an investigation into the 2009 disappearance in Afghanistan of Bowe Bergdahl, the US soldier freed last month after five years in Taliban captivity.

"The army has initiated its investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the disappearance and capture of Bowe Bergdahl from Combat Outpost Mest-Lalak in Paktika Province, Afghanistan on or about June 30, 2009," the army said in a statement.

The army said it appointed as lead investigator Major General Kenneth Dahl, a two-star general, who will not interview Bergdahl until those who are currently helping him recover from his five years of captivity say it is all right to do so.

Bergdahl, 28, returned to the United States on Friday after spending nearly two weeks at a US military hospital in Germany and is being treated at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

While Bergdahl is at the medical facility, he will receive daily medical and mental-health treatment, officials said on Friday. There is no set timeline for reintegration, as treatment is dependent on his progress and decisions.

The military has attempted to keep Bergdahl out of the media spotlight since his release, and officials said he was not aware of the controversy surrounding the deal that secured his return, which involved the release of five Taliban fighters from detention at Guantánamo Bay.