After spending five years in Taliban custody, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 28, arrived in the U.S. under the cloak of darkness early Friday morning.
Sgt. Bergdahl on his way to BAMC via ambulance. #kens5news pic.twitter.com/6cT6Ej4d9q
— Joe Conger (@joe_conger) June 13, 2014
Bergdahl, who was freed late last month through a controversial prisoner exchange, was flying from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
In this image taken from video obtained from Voice Of Jihad Website, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, sits in a vehicle guarded by the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Voice Of Jihad Website via AP video)
Before his departure from Germany on Thursday, officials in Washington said Bergdahl will not receive the automatic Army promotion that would have taken effect this month if he were still in captivity. Now that he is back in U.S. military control, any future promotions would depend on his performance and achievement of certain training and education milestones.
"Our first priority is making sure that Sgt. Bergdahl continues to get the care and support he needs," Pentagon spokesman Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said Thursday, in a statement announcing his return to the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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