The United States Army is currently dealing with the task of determining how much money, if any, is owed to deserter Bowe Bergdahl as back pay for the time he spent captured.
Bowe Berdahl purposefully left his military post and deserted the Army leaving his fellow soldiers in danger. Bergdahl was subsequently captured by the Taliban and spent five years in captivity before Obama made the shocking prisoner trade that released five Taliban members from Guantanamo bay and in return gave Bergdahl back to the US.
He has already plead guilty to desertion and managed to avoid a prison sentence as his captivity was considered time served, but now there is actually a chance that he can receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay for his time in captivity even though it’s his own fault that he was captured in the first place.
The U.S. Army is set to decide whether Pvt. Bowe Bergdahl is entitled to as much as $300,000 in back pay and other benefits he amassed during his captivity with the Taliban.
Bergdahl, 31, was captured by the Taliban in 2009 after he walked off base while in Afghanistan. He was given a dishonorable discharge and he was demoted from sergeant to private in a court decision earlier this month but spared prison. President Trump called the ruling a “complete and total disgrace.”
Captive soldiers normally receive special compensation worth around $150,000 in addition to hostile-fire pay and their basic pay they accumulated during the captivity. But determining whether Bergdahl should receive the back pay is not as clear-cut.
An official told the Times that it is possible Bergdahl will be given only his accumulated basic pay during his five-year captivity.
Bergdahl deserted his position and therefore shouldn’t be considered as a paid soldier during his capture and should receive zero dollars from the time he walked off base.