Bergdahl Says He Deserted To Expose US Army’s ‘Leadership Failure’

The 25-some hours of audio come from film producer Mark Boal, who according to the New Yorker managed to secure hours of phone interviews with Bergdahl following his return.

The popular podcast “Serial” launched its second season Thursday, shining a spotlight on the mysterious disappearance of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl – and allowing him to be heard publicly for the first time since he was freed by the Taliban in May 2014. “He has a definite point of view about hit-and-run TV reporting, and so this was the opposite of that”.

In the episode, Bergdahl says he left his military outpost in Afghanistan in June 2009 because he was trying to get an audience with people high-up in the military so he could reveal potentially unsafe problems in the unit’s leadership. Bergdahl knew he would be in trouble for walking off base. He carried only vacuum-packed chicken, knives, water and a compass, and immediately was seized by the thought: “I’m going, ‘Good grief, I’m in over my head'”. “I really did something bad”.

In the new episode of ‘Serial,’ Bergdahl said he hatched an action movie-inspired plan that tapped into his running experience in the mountains of Idaho: he would sprint 19 miles to the nearest base to draw attention to a risky “leadership failure” in his unit.

He said he quickly became lost in desert hills, where he was run down by men on motorcycles. “I don’t know, Jason Bourne”. They describe the awful conditions at OP Mest, where Bergdahl’s platoon would spend days on watch.

Bergdahl spent the next five years as a prisoner of the Taliban, much of it in a pitch-black room.

The exchange brought a firestorm of criticism from congressional Republicans, who said they were not notified as required by law. The report also concludes there’s no sign a ransom was paid for Bergdahl.

Fellow soldiers were suspicious of Bergdahl’s odd and intense behaviour while in the army. Who was a true soldier?

That logic sounds loopy, which even Bergdahl acknowledges (“stupid”, he says) and which Koenig points out may well be something he cooked up during five years of captivity. Serial’s decision to focus on this story is a big departure away from season one, which intently focused on seeking the truth behind Lee’s murder.

Upon the release of the podcast, Eugene Fidell, Bergdahl’s attorney said, “The more information the public has, the better”.

Sergeant Bergdahl is awaiting a ruling on whether his case will be heard before a court-martial.

General Robert Abrams, a combat officer who is a general court-martial convening authority, holds Bergdahl’s fate in his hands. Abrams has given no indication on when he might make a decision.

Bergdahls interview is another coup for makers of “Serial, ” which established podcasts as a viable outlet when the first season was downloaded more than 100 million times.

“Perhaps the most vexing moment in episode one comes from Boal’s description of Bergdahl; he says, “… he’s a mystery. “I think it would be inappropriate”.

More quibbles: “Serial” apparently will not be interviewing Bergdahl itself, leaving it reliant on questions that were asked in a very different context and before the show reported out the story.

The 29-year-old army sergeant was released last year when the Obama administration negotiated a “prisoners swap”.