Bergdahl returns to Army duty

WASHINGTON – Six weeks after Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed from Taliban captivity, he has completed treatment at a military hospital in Texas and is being returned to active duty, Army officials said Monday.

In a brief statement, officials said Bergdahl had “completed the final phase of the reintegration process” and would “now return to regular duty” at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, the base where he has been receiving medical treatment and counseling.

But Bergdahl’s future remains in limbo until the Army completes an investigation into his disappearance in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009, when he was taken captive after apparently leaving his post without permission.

He is expected to be interviewed soon by Maj. Gen. Kenneth Dahl, who was appointed last month to lead the investigation.

Bergdahl will work at headquarters of U.S. Army North, a command that oversees domestic defense.

Bergdahl, who was promoted to sergeant during his time as a captive, will live in noncommissioned officer quarters and work with soldiers “who are providing leadership and guidance,” said Donald E. Manuszewski, a spokesman for Army North.

When off duty, Bergdahl will be free to leave the base unescorted, an Army official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Army has declined to say whether Bergdahl, 28, has spoken to his parents in Idaho. Robert and Jani Bergdahl led a public campaign to gain their son’s release and were invited to the White House the day he was freed.