and certainly patrolling waterways. nypd at the ready. marathon organizers expect 2.5 million spectators and more than 50,000 runners on sunday. the u.s. president donald trump has slammed the sentence handed down friday against the u.s. soldier who deserted his post in afghanistan. bowe bergdahl was held captive by the taliban for five years and released in a prisoner swap. nick valencia has the latest. reporter: bowe bergdahl walked in court on friday at ft. bragg tense. a military judge sentenced him to be dishonorably discharged. it was the culmination of the nearly ten-year saga for the 31-year-old. he plead guilty to desertion and misbehaving. it was june 30th, 2009 when he
time the president has been critical of bergdahl. nick valencia has that and more from ft. bragg. reporter: bowe bergdahl walked into court on friday advisably tense. just moments later, a military judge sentenced him to be dishonorably discharged, thereby avoiding jail time. sergeant bergdahl has looked forward to today for a long time. reporter: it was the culmination of a nearly ten year saga for the 31-year-old who just last month pled guilty to desertion and misbehavinging in front of the enemy. it was june 30th, 2009 whenburg do burg dalg oergdahl walked away army post and he was captured by the taliban and held hostage for almost five years. ensays he spent the time in a metal care, repeatedly beaten and tortured. several service men were injured while looking for bergdahl and including master sergeant mark allen who was shot in the head and left paralyzed. in 2014, bergdahl was released
health, medical health experts test fiing that he suffers a schizophrenic like illness that distorts his ability to see the various kens quenshes of his actions. bowe bergdahl did admit deserting his post on june 30th, 2009, was a mistake. the defense argued not only a mistake but a crime and he should be punished for. the judge ruling bergdahl reduced to the rank of e-1 from his rank of sergeant, given a dishonorable discharge and will have to pay over the course of ten months about $10,000 in fines. kate. ? nick, did the judge give any indication what went all in to this decision? because there s such a discrepancy here between what obviously what prosecutors wanted and this has been so this has all been watched so closely over every you know, from when he pleaded guilty to where they are right now, did he give some indication of what got him to no jail time?
visibly tensed. he was dishonor bly discharged. he has looked forward to today for a long time. it was the culmination of a nearly ten-year saga for the 123i-year-old who just last month pled guilty to desertion and misbehavior in front of the enemy. it was june 30th 2009 when bergdahl deliberately walked away from his post in afghanistan. within hours, he was captured by the taliban and held hostage for almost five years. bergdahl said he spent most of the time living in a metal cage. beaten and tortured. several servicemen were injured while looking for bergdahl in afghanistan including master sergeant mark allen, who was shot in the head and left paralyzed. in 2014, bergdahl was leased in a controversial prisoner swap for five detainees and during the campaign, then candidate donald trump blasted the decision. and bergdahl. we re tired of sergeant bergdahl, that s a traitor, who should have been executed.
the equivalent of a misdemeanor trial that would have resulted in a maximum one-year sentence. i never remember a special court being upgraded to a general court. this is very, very unusual. and to my mind, it speaks to the courage of senior leadership. reporter: bergdahl spent five years in taliban captivity after walking off his outpost in eastern afghanistan on june 30th, 2009. a controversial some say illegal prisoner swap in may of 2014 led to the release of five senior taliban commanders held at guantanamo bay. and a rare rose garden press conference with the president and bergdahl s parents. the white house victory lap raised eyebrows in the military. bergdahl recently explained why he left his base in a 25-hour podcast. quote, doing what i did was me saying i am like jason bourne. i had this fantastic idea that i was going to prove to the world i was the real thing.