Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl touched down in the United States on Friday morning in San Antonio, five years after being captured by Taliban forces.
The soldier will continue his “reintegration process” at Brooke Army Medical Center, according to the Defense Department. It did not give a timeline for his recovery.
{mosads}”Our focus remains on his health and well-being. Secretary Hagel is confident that the Army will continue to ensure that Sgt. Bergdahl receives the care, time and space he needs to complete his recovery and reintegration,” Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
The process will include debriefings and further medical treatment.
Bergdahl has been under care from military doctors in Germany since late last month, when the Obama administration traded five high-ranking Taliban prisoners in Guantánamo Bay in exchange for his release — a move criticized by members of both parties.
Military officials have said they will review the circumstances of his disappearance once the soldier’s health recovers. They have indicated charges could be brought if he is found to have deserted before his capture.
According to The New York Times, a report completed shortly after his capture in 2009 found that Bergdahl likely intentionally left his outpost before he was captured. However, it did not conclude whether he intended to return.
Polls have shown most people would support military charges being brought if he is found to have deserted. The surveys have also found more people disapprove than approve of the trade.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have criticized the exchange, which Congress was not told of in advance, claiming it would harm national security since there is no guarantee the released Taliban members will not return to the battlefield.