Bergdahl shifted to outpatient care

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been moved to outpatient care at a Texas military base, the Army announced Sunday.

Bergdahl, 28, had been receiving inpatient treatment at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio since June 13. He has now begun outpatient care on the base. 

After being held captive by Taliban prisoners since June 2009, the Army said in a statement that Bergdahl continues his reintegration process. 

{mosads}”His reintegration process continues with exposure to more people and a gradual increase of social interactions,” it said, according to multiple reports. “Debriefings and counseling from Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) psychologists continue to ensure he progresses to the point where he can return to duty.” 

During his inpatient treatment, he was held in a hospital room without access to a TV or Army personnel, officials said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Bergdahl was treated at a U.S. military hospital in Germany for nearly two weeks after his release on May 31.

President Obama’s decision to swap him and release five Taliban prisoners from Guantánamo Bay precipitated a heated debate over whether Obama had the authorization to circumvent Congress and whether it was justified. 

Last week, the Army announced it had appointed Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Dahl to lead an investigation into the nature of Bergdahl’s disappearance from his military base in Afghanistan. An initial Pentagon probe in 2010 found he intentionally left the base, which some of his fellow comrades have also confirmed.

More than half of voters in Iowa said they disapprove of the decision to release five Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl, a Quinnipiac University survey released Monday found.

An overwhelming majority, 74 percent, said he should be charged with a military crime if the Army determines he deserted his post in 2009.

The poll surveyed 1,277 registered voters in Iowa from June 12-16 with a 2.7-percentage-point margin of error.

— This report was updated at 7:50 a.m.