Hero or deserter? Bergdahl debate rages in US

US political and military officials warmly welcomed Bowe Bergdahl's release in Afghanistan, but questions about the circumstances of his kidnapping are becoming more insistent, with some soldiers accusing him of desertion.
From the White House to the Pentagon, officials have celebrated the recovery of the 28-year-old army sergeant from his Taliban captors, repeatedly citing the promise never to leave a soldier behind.
In his hometown of Hailey, Idaho, residents celebrated, with 'Bowe's free at last' signs posted alongside the traditional yellow ribbons tied in a show of support for US troops.
But unease quickly set in in other quarters about just how Bergdahl was captured on June 30, 2009 in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika, where he was deployed at a forward operating base.

Some fellow soldiers, including members of Bergdahl's unit, have accused him of abandoning his post, and perhaps even deserting in a bid to flee to India.
"Every member of my brigade combat team received an order that we were not allowed to discuss what happened to Bergdahl for fear of endangering him. He is safe, and now it is time to speak the truth," Nathan Bradley Bethea wrote in the Daily Beast.

On Facebook, the group 'Bowe Bergdahl is NOT a hero', which had more than 1,500 likes till yesterday was circulating a petition asking the White House to punish Bergdahl for going AWOL (absent without leave).

The petition had 5,200 signatures at 2130 GMT.
"He walked off. He was there to protect us, and instead he decided to... Go and do his own thing," former private Jose Baggett, another member of Blackfoot Company, told CNN.
Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said Bergdahl had not been classified as a deserter or with AWOL status.
"He's been promoted twice since his capture. He was due another promotion in June to staff sergeant," Warren said.
"We got him home. Our creed is that we'll never leave a fallen comrade behind and we have fulfilled our creed in this case," the spokesman added.

Beyond the praise and celebration, US officials have nevertheless acknowledged that the questions will eventually need answers.
"We still don't have a complete picture of what caused him to leave his base that night," said Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby.
Bergdahl was transported on Sunday from Bagram air base north of Kabul to the Landstuhl military medical center in southern Germany for further treatment and evaluation.