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US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive for five years after disappearing from his base in Afghanistan in 2009, will be charged with desertion, according to NBC News. Bergdahl was released last year in a prisoner swap with the Taliban . . .

According to allegations, Bergdahl abandoned his outpost in June 2009 to avoid “hazardous duty or important service,” which are grounds for charges of desertion under the Uniform Military Code of Justice, or UCMJ, as NBC News reported. According to one senior official who spoke with NBC News, Bergdahl allegedly abandoned his post “in the middle of a combat zone, potentially putting the lives of his fellows soldiers at risk.”

Bergdahl was reportedly captured by the Haqqani terrorist network in Pakistan. He was released in exchange for five Taliban commanders held at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, a decision for which the White House has come under fire . . .

The news comes as an embarrassment to the White House, which as Hot Air reported, “cough[ed] up five big fish for one deserter.”

The White House, which arranged for the prisoner swap in May, was criticized at the time for “negotiating with terrorists.” Some Republican lawmakers, as well as others in Bergdahl’s unit, objected to the trade on the grounds that Bergdahl had deserted. (Read more about Bowe Bergdahl facing desertion charges HERE)