A military judge has ruled that Bowe Bergdahl will not serve any time in prison for deserting his post while serving in Afghanistan; demoting the soldier’s rank to private and imposing a fine of $1,000 per month, reports Yahoo News.
Bergdahl pleaded guilty last month to charges of treason and misbehavior before the enemy after he walked away from his fellow soldiers back in 2009.
The American service member was eventually captured by the Islamic fighters.
The 31-year-old Sergeant was the center of a media firestorm in 2014, when former President Barack Obama negotiated his release after being held captive by Taliban forces for nearly five years.
The Obama administration exchanged Bergdahl for five high-profile Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, and came under fierce criticism over the conditions of Bergdahl’s capture and suspicions he voluntarily abandoned his post.
President Trump harshly critiqued his predecessor’s negotiations with the terror group, and routinely called Bergdahl a “traitor” throughout his presidential campaign.