FORT BRAGG, Calif. (NBCNC) – U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl took the witness stand in a surprise move during the fourth day of his sentencing hearing.
The 31-year-old soldier from Idaho broke down several times and apologized to those who were wounded while searching for him after he abandoned his post in Afghanistan in 2009, a move he called a “terrible mistake.”
Reading from a statement, Bergdahl said he “was trying to do something good and it turned bad.” He was subsequently captured by the Taliban.
During his testimony, Bergdahl detailed several unsuccessful attempts to escape and the painful aftermath that his captors inflicted on him. It was the first time the courtroom had heard from Bergdahl, other than when he pleaded guilty last week to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
The court also heard emotional testimony from the wife of a soldier who was seriously injured in the search for Bergdahl.
Earlier, the judge denied a motion by the defense to dismiss the case based on President Trump’s criticism of Bergdahl, ruling that the comments had not prevented Bergdahl from having a fair sentencing hearing.
However, the judge said that he will consider the president’s comments as a mitigating factor when he hands down Bergdahl’s sentence. Bergdahl faces up to life in prison.
He was released from captivity in a prisoner swap orchestrated by President Obama in 2014.
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