BOISE, Idaho – The parents of an American soldier just released from captivity in Afghanistan say they’re delaying direct contact with him until military experts say he’s ready to talk to his family.
At a news conference Sunday in Boise, Idaho, Bob and Jani Bergdahl said their son may need time to recover from his nearly five years as a Taliban prisoner.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed Saturday in exchange for five Guantanamo terrorism detainees and was flown to a U.S. military hospital in Germany.
His mother’s message to him was, “We continue in our minute-by-minute prayers for you as you go through this healing process, and we praise God for your freedom.”
The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s capture remain something of a mystery. There has been some speculation that he willingly walked away from his unit, raising the question of whether he could face charges.
In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine quoted emails Bergdahl is said to have sent to his parents that suggest he was disillusioned with America’s mission in Afghanistan, had lost faith in the U.S. Army’s mission there, and was considering desertion.
Bob Bergdahl told reporters he’s proud of how far his son was willing to go to help the Afghan people, but didn’t explain what he meant.