The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. December 23, 2015 Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl Arraigned on Charges of Desertion ------------------------------------------------------------- Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who spent five years in Taliban captivity, has been arraigned on charges related to his disappearance from a U.S. base in Afghanistan in 2009. Bergdahl was released by the Taliban last year in exchange for five Guantánamo prisoners. He has said he walked off his post in an attempt to reach another U.S. base and report wrongdoing in his unit. The Army officer who investigated his case testified against any prison time and recommended Bergdahl go before a special court-martial, where his maximum possible punishment would be a year behind bars. But he has instead been ordered to a general court-martial where he faces a possible life sentence if convicted. .