Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A high-ranking Army official has ordered Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 29, to face a court-martial on charges of desertion and endangering troops. Bergdahl left his post in eastern Afghanistan in 2009, resulting in almost five years in Taliban captivity.

In September, the Army's investigating officer, Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl, said a jail sentence for Bergdahl would be "inappropriate." However, the new court-martial recommendation, from Gen. Robert B. Abrams, head of Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, could come with a possible life sentence for endangering troops sent to search for Bergdahl.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.