Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl charged with desertion, faces life in prison

U.S. to charge Bowe Bergdahl with desertion
(Image credit: U.S. Army/Getty Images)

The U.S. military on Wednesday charged Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl with one count of desertion and one count of misbehavior before the enemy. The former charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, while the latter carries the potential for a life sentence.

Describing the process as akin to a civilian grand jury, the military said Bergdahl would face a preliminary hearing to determine if he should go to court-martial.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.