U.S. 'Deserter' Once Held by Afghan Militants Appears in Court

U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was held by insurgents in Afghanistan for five years before being freed in a prisoner swap, appeared in court Tuesday charged with desertion.

The 29-year-old soldier appeared before a military tribunal at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to be formally arraigned on two charges that could see him face life in prison.

Bergdahl, who was wearing his U.S. Army dress uniform, waived making a plea to the charges. He was briefed on his rights and replied with a soft "Yes sir" when asked whether he understood.

The hearing lasted 15 minutes and Bergdahl, who was represented by a military lawyer, asked to be represented by civilian counsel in future appearances.

He deferred a decision on whether he would prefer to face court martial in front of a military judge or a panel of officers and fellow enlisted men.

Tuesday's public hearing was Bergdahl's first appearance before a judge since he disappeared from Combat Outpost Mest-Malak in Paktika Province, Afghanistan on June 20, 2009.

After departing the base, leaving behind his firearm, the young soldier was quickly captured by militants from the feared Haqqani faction, a Taliban-lined outfit blamed for many deadly attacks on U.S. soldiers.

A search and rescue mission was launched and some of Bergdahl's former comrades have accused him of putting their lives in danger by his actions.

Nevertheless, the military worked hard to find him and he was eventually released to U.S. special forces in May last year after the United States released five Afghan detainees from Guantanamo Bay.

Bergdahl was reassigned to administrative work at a U.S. Army base in Texas but an investigation had been launched. 

In March he was charged with "desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty" and "misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place."