Bowe Bergdahl Hearing: Squad Leader Calls Him 'Quiet,' 'Introverted' - East Idaho News
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Bowe Bergdahl Hearing: Squad Leader Calls Him ‘Quiet,’ ‘Introverted’

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SAN ANTONIO — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s former squad leader testified Friday about Bergdahl’s demeanor during his deployment to Afghanistan, describing him as “introverted” and “quiet.”

Friday morning, Bergdahl’s squad leader Greg Leatherman said Bergdahl was a good soldier and “everyone wanted him on his squad,” but at the same time he was not adjusting well to his deployment to Afghanistan. 

He suggested at one point to his First Sergeant that Bergdahl “should talk with someone” but that sergeant reacted negatively to the request . 

The hearing at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio will determine whether Bergdahl should face a military tribunal for leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009, which military officials said led to his being captured by the Taliban. Bergdahl was returned to the U.S. as part of a prisoner exchange with the Taliban in 2014.

Bergdahl has been charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Should the case be referred to a court martial, he could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

Also testifying Friday, Curtis Aberle, a nurse practitioner who testified that the cruel treatment Bergdahl endured during his five year captivity has left him with permanent nerve damage in his legs that will require a lifetime of care.  Aberle said Bergdahl should not remain in the Army as he is not up to physical standards and he has also been diagnosed with PTSD.

The hearing is ongoing.

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