US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by the Taliban for five years, has admitted deserting his post in Afghanistan.

Sgt Bergdahl, 31, pleaded guilty at a military court-martial to desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy in June 2009, telling a military judge: "I left my observation post on my own. I understand that leaving was against the law."

He could be jailed for life for the misbehaviour charge, while the offence of desertion carries a maximum term of five years.

:: Bergdahl asks Obama for pardon

A Navy Seal and an Army National Guard were seriously wounded in attempts to rescue him from his captors - incidents that will influence his sentence.


Sgt Bergdahl, who is accused of endangering his comrades by abandoning his post, admitted wrongdoing but said he never intended to put anyone at risk.

Bergdahl release video

"I didn't think there'd be any reason to pull off a crucial mission to look for one guy," he said, adding his actions were "very inexcusable".

He was captured by the Taliban hours after walking off his remote observation post in June 2009 in a move which he said was aimed at drawing attention to what he saw as problems with his unit.

During his trial, he told how he was tortured in captivity, including spending years either locked in a cage or chained on all fours.

Nonetheless, he said he made "somewhere between a dozen and 15 escape attempts".

Former US president Barack Obama brought him home in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, saying the US does not leave its service members on the battlefield.

The move was fiercely criticised by his Republican opponents and especially Donald Trump.

While campaigning for president, the businessman repeatedly called Bergdahl a "dirty, rotten traitor" who deserved to be executed by firing squad or thrown out of a plane without a parachute.

By admitting his guilt, Sgt Bergdahl, who chose to have his case heard by a judge rather than a jury, appears to be hoping for leniency.

But the serious wounds to the colleagues searching for him are expected to influence the sentence and his defence team failed in a bid to convince judge Army Colonel Jeffrey Nance that President Trump's criticism had swayed the case.

The five years Sergeant Bergdahl spent in captivity is likely to be borne in mind in sentencing by the judge, who has accepted his plea.

The sentencing hearing is expected to start on 23 October.