Former Army Sgt. Evan Buetow is the latest soldier to come forward, saying that the U.S. military knew Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a deserter–this time, within just days of his disappearance, CNN reports.
Buetow was with radio and cell phone communication teams when they intercepted messages about an American looking for the Taliban. “I heard it straight from the interpreter’s lips as he heard it over the radio,” he said. “There’s a lot more to this story than a soldier walking away.” (RELATED: Bergdahl Was A Soldier, Fellow Soldiers Say)
Buetow went on to suggest that Bergdahl was feeding information to the Taliban: “Following his disappearance, IEDs started going off directly under the trucks. They were getting perfect hits every time. Their ambushes were very calculated, very methodical.”
Soldiers began coming forward about Bergdahl’s alleged desertion after Nathan Bradley Bethea, an officer who served with Bergdahl, published an expose just days after his release.
New reports reveal that a 2010 investigation concluded that Bergdahl had intentionally snuck off base prior to his 2009 disappearance, and may have done so more than once.
Over 12,000 people have signed a White House petition demanding that Bergdahl be brought to trial for desertion.
“Like any American, he is innocent until proven guilty,” said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey. “Our Army’s leaders will not look away from misconduct if it occurred. In the meantime, we will continue to care for him and his family.”