SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The Army general who led the investigation into the disappearance of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 said a prison sentence would be "inappropriate."
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl testified Friday Bergdahl was "unrealistically idealistic" when he left his remote outpost some six years ago, hoping to draw attention to what he considered poor leadership of his unit. Bergdahl believed leaving his observation post and walking about 14 miles to a nearby American base would give him the attention he needed to speak with high-ranking officers to complain, Dahl said at an Army Article 32 hearing to determine if Bergdahl will face a court martial. He believed the "problems were so severe that his platoon was in danger," Dahl said. If court-martialed, Bergdahl faces life in prison.