Bergdahl enters no plea at hearing on desertion charges

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl made his first appearance before a military judge Tuesday, the start of a general court-martial on desertion charges that could result in a life term in prison for the Idaho native.

Bergdahl, who also faces a charge of misbehavior before the enemy, barely spoke during the short hearing, answering only "yes" and "no" to a series of questions about whether he understood his rights and the court proceedings. He did not enter a plea and did not decide whether he wants his court-martial decided by a judge or an jury, putting off those decisions until his next court hearing.

U.S. Army Forces Command Col. Daniel King said afterward that Bergdahl said he was satisfied with his defense team, which consists of military and civilian attorneys. King said the judge scheduled the next hearing for Jan. 12.

Bergdahl wore an Army dress uniform with a dark blue jacket and closely cropped hair. The arraignment was held at Fort Bragg, N.C., where Bergdahl is being held.

Bergdahl's case started on June 30, 2009, when he walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province. During a recent interview he gave to the popular podcast Serial, Bergdahl said he had concerns about his command's leadership and wanted to bring those concerns to top leaders.

He said he quickly regretted his decision to leave, then concocted a plan to redeem himself by trying to track Taliban insurgents to get valuable intelligence.

"I had this fantastic idea that I was going to prove to the world that I was the real thing," Bergdahl said in the interview. "Doing what I did is me saying that I am like ... Jason Bourne."

Instead, he was captured by the Taliban and held captive for five years. His release would become the source of intense debate from the U.S. Capitol to the Pentagon. In October 2014, the Obama administration announced it had negotiated his release in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay.

Some of Bergdahl's platoonmates in Afghanistan said he let his colleagues down by walking off his post, which prompted a manhunt that put other soldiers at risk. Many politicians in the U.S. also complained about the high cost of his release.

An Army investigating officer suggested earlier this year that Bergdahl face a "special court-martial" and not be exposed to jail time or a punitive discharge. But earlier this month, the Army decided to pursue the full "general court-martial" to preserve the possibility of life in prison if Bergdahl is found guilty.

At the time, Bergdahl's defense attorney, Eugene Fidell, said in a statement that the defense team "hoped the case would not go in this direction."