actions was asked if he thought bergdahl should go to jail. scott, major-- i'm sorry, general kenneth dahl replied that a jail sentence would be inappropriate. >> pelley: omar, thank you very much. pope francis leaves rome tomorrow for cuba and then his first trip to the united states beginning on tuesday. on assignment for "60 minutes," we met the pope at his general audience last week and spoke protecting a man who placed his safety in the hands of god. pope francis is the only world leader who plunges into crowds like this. he demands freedom, ask he explained why when we visited the vatican last week. what is your goal for america? "to meet people," he told us. but his desire for freedom is exactly what worries the man who stands at the right fender of the father. irst breitenmoser is a sergeant in the 500-year-old swiss guard, the pope's body guards. >> we cannot be like a wall around him, so as he is a pastor, he loves to be a pastor, he needs the contact with people. it's very personal, very human, and for us, it's an awesome experience

special forces to free bergdahl. military coming face to face with armed members of the taliban near the afghanistan/pakistan border. the president praising the mission with bergdahl's parents by his side. >> this morning i called bob and januariy bergdahl and told them after nearly five years in captivity, their son bowe is coming home. sergeant bergdahl has missed birthdays and holidays and the simple moments with family and friends, which all of us take for granted. but while bowe was gone, he was never forgotten. >> but critics blasted president obama for swapping five guantanamo bay detainees for sergeant bergdahl. fellow soldiers accused bergdahl of being a deserter and argued he willingly left the base and put his fellow soldiers at risk. bergdahl is now charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. this hour a hearing to determine next steps gets under way. joining me now to talk about this, former army sergeant josh porter who served with bergdahl in afghanistan. he also went through basic trainin

bergdahl, just keep making stuff up. >> when we get a traitor named bergdahl, a dirty, rotten traitory, when he deserted, six young beautiful people were killed trying to find him. >> it's absolutely true. >> the general investigator in the case says not a traitor and no one was killed trying to find him. what will donald trump say next? skrch... skrch... what are you doing? i just gotta scrape the rest of the food off them. ew. dish issues? cascade platinum powers through this brownie mess better than the competition, the first time. cascade. >>> joe biden has lined up a very important supporter for his possible presidential campaign. his wife. that's next. about hugging tree. it's not about being wasteful either. ♪ you just gotta find that balance. ♪ where taking care of yourself takes care of more than just yourself. ♪ lease an mkz hybrid for $299 a month only at your lincoln dealer. ♪ ♪ hp instant ink can save you up to 50% on ink delivered to your door ...so print all you want and never run out. plans start at $2.99 a month. ♪ the most affordable way to print. hp

bergdahl, just keep making stuff up. >> when we get a traitor named bergdahl, a dirty, rotten traitorng beautiful people were killed trying to find him. >> it's absolutely true. >> the general investigator in the case says not a traitor and no one was killed trying to find him. what will ump doctdonald trump ? sfx: drum beats mother nature can turn in an instant; sfx: drum beats don't turn back. ♪ introducing the new 2016 ford explorer. be unstoppable. ♪ this is my fight song... misswill turn anan asphalt parking lot into a new neighborhood for san franciscans. a vote for "yes" on "d" is definitely a vote for more parks and open space. a vote on proposition "d" is a vote for jobs. campos: no one is being displaced. it's 40% affordable units near the waterfront for regular people. this is just a win-win for our city. i'm behind it 100%. voting yes on "d" is so helpful to so many families in our city. >>> joe biden has lined up a very important supporter for his possible presidential campaign. his wife. that's next. now that's a full weekend. ♪ join in and guess the five stops they made

it accuses bergdahl of endangering fellow soldiers.ergdahl disappeared from his post back in 2009 and was captured by the taliban. then in 2010, a pentagon investigation concluded he walked away from his unit, but stopped short of accusing him of desertion. his platoon mates are more outspoken. >> bergdahl walked away from us, went to try to find the taliban. and we know that for a fact. he's not a hero and he did not serve in distinction. that's a spit in the face to anyone who died looking for him. what do you think their families think? they don't get their loved one back like bergdahl's family. >> on may 31st, 2014, u.s. special forces in afghanistan swapped five taliban commanders from guantanamo bay who had been in prison there for bergdahl's release. the exchange stirs controversy, debate and anger from lawmakers, republicans and democrats alike who were not informed by the prison swap. at the same time, president obama delivers a state in the white house rose guard within bergdahl's parents. >> beau was gone, he was never forgo

the mission was to rescue bowe bergdahl.y for the first time because he feels it is important for people to know the sacrifices so many people made to try to bring bowe bergdahl home. i asked him if he felt like that mission was a failure. >> to me it was. in the sense that, i mean, we didn't get him. >> do you know if he was there in that, in that area where you were? >> you know, i was told that -- he for sure was in that area. that they found things on some of the dead guys that, that, you know, indicated that, he was there. >> does it matter to you that, i mean is that a component of that you were wounded on the mission which didn't succeed and what the objective was. is that something that -- resonated with you. >> i took a lot of that on myself. i felt like if i had done things differently. not gotten hurt. you know the mission wouldn't have failed. yeah, no way to know that. at the time i certainly it was a failure to me. i was the cause of it. >> hatch was awarded a purple heart and the bronze star for his actions th

patricia. >> bowe bergdahl snuck off his post under the cover of darkness. that's what they are claiming after the army sergeant was brought up on charges of desertion. he was held by the taliban for five years before being held after a p controversial prisoner swap planning on abandoning his post for week. he mailed home his kindle and lap top before disappearing and even tried to have his pay diverted to his god mother. he testified that will the act put all of them in harm's way. >> he walked away. ambushes went up exponentially. ied's. a lot more ied's. we got hit by more. automatic oo even as he faces life in prison his attorney is trying to play down the significance of the hearings. >> there's a fair amount of misinformation about this proceeding. people have compared it to the grand jury. it's a poor analogy. it will should be for that reason not be thought of as a trial. >> bergdahl defends who will get the chance to tell his side in just a few hours. four witnesses are expected. it is not nen if bergdahl will take the stand. >> patricia stark. >> t

sergeant bergdahl told general doll. >> bergdahl who spent nearly five years in taliban captivity after he deserted has never explained why he left. it's unclear whether the attorneys will put him on the stand today. in a highly controversial swap last may, america exchanged five detainees in guantanamo bay in exchange for bergdahl. >>> the last of the hikers killed by floodwaters in utah has been found. rescuers found the body yesterday. the bodies of the other six hikers were found tuesday and wednesday. the flash flooding also killed at least 12 other people, including nine children. >>> the death toll in the california wildfires is rising. two more bodies were found in the ruins. burnt homes in lake county. that brings the death toll to five in two of the worst fires in the state. cooler weather and rain yesterday helped firefighters gain some ground on the blazes that have destroyed more than 800 homes. >>> it is time to get that flu shot. more than half of americans get a flu vaccination. on average the flu kills 24,000 people a year in the united states. >> there is plenty of flu

they said bergdahl sneaked off his face, willingly and knowingly. bergdahl showed no emotion.s attorney offered one line for his opening statement. the government should make sergeant bergdahl's statement available to the public, and not just for you. >> we have been as energetic as we can in trying to pe persue the army to release the unclassified testimony that my client gave under oath to a major general in the u.s. army last year. >> he also won't release the strategy, and he appealed directly to the media. >> if we go to court, which i think is quite likely, i think we'll have company from your employers. >> the prosecution called three witnesses from bergdahl's platoon, including its leader, who described efforts for bergdahl. he succeeded that bergdahl had an outstanding record, and no one in the platoon was killed trying to find him. he was stationed in afghanistan when he vanished in 2009, he walked off the base, leaving behind weapon and protective gear and equipment. at some point, he was captured by the [ speaking italiathetaliban andy held prisoner for five years.

bergdahl. i feel pretty strongly about that.s to know, you know, how much was risked. >> that's i'm important to you he knows that? >> yeah, it's important that americans know that. >> we hope now they do, a word on the making of the story, we corroborated the story with two other military personnel and two other sources and asked the u.s. navy to verify and while the navy confirmed the long and distinguished career as a seal, they could not comment about this particular mission. if you want more information on the nonprofit organizationization that jimmy hatch founded or if you want to donate money, go to spikes canine fund.org. one word, no apostrophe or anything, again, spikesk 9 fund.org. check it out. he's just an amazing, amazing guy and real privilege to meet him and his family. >>> just ahead, details tonight in the death of a 2-year-old bella bond. what the prosecutor says the mom and mother's boyfriend did to this little girl on the last day of her life. >>> plus, more than 700 other cases remain unsolved tonight. 700

under cross-examination, billings testified he had no idea about bergdahl's mental health his. defense attorneys have not revealed how that could play into their case. they plan to call their own witnesses to the stand today, including major general kenneth dahl who conducted the army's investigation into his disappearance. >> you may learn more about what sergeant bergdahl told general dahl. >> bergdahl, who spent nearly five years in taliban captivity after he deserted, has never explained why he left. it's unclear if his attorneys will put him on the stand today. in a highly controversial swap last may, the obama administration traded five taliban pretty muchers being held in guantanamo bay, cuba, in exchange for bergdahl. >> hena daniels in new york, thank you. >>> the last of the hikers killed by floodwaters in utah has been found. searchers went into a narrow canyon in zion national park on thursday where they found the body. the bodies of the other six hikers were found tuesday and wednesday. the flash flooding also killed at least 12 other people, including nine childre

phone saying bergdahl wanted to join them and they talking about bergdahl trying to join them.ation was known from july 2ened on yet we still traded him for five terrorists had a white house ceremony and now would have taken two years since he has come back to do something which takes 90 days. the government has not yet and doesn't sound like it's going to use these tapes against sergeant bergdahl its expolitic cable. it doesn't make sense. does the numbers make any sense about on bergdahl? >> how did the government gets tapes? >> programs we have been doing it since world war ii in which we listen to the enemy and people that speak pashtun or whatever language they were listening were listening to what thrp told to and also listening to bergdahl's' phone. they heard taliban on bergdahl's phone because he joined them by then and taliban on separate phones talking about him it's a military program. >> let me stop you. so, it's surveillance. they have two is the of tapes one on bergdahl's own phone. taliban talking. then on another phone, used by the taliban. once again, the tape

authorities say bergdahl deserted.ays he didn't find any information to suggest bergdahl was sympathetic to the taliban. bergdahl was captured and held by the taliban for five years and released only after a controversial prison swap last year. let's bring in cnn correspondent martin savage there live in texas. martin, what else did this investigator say? >> reporter: good morning, christy, good morning, victor, it's just too bad there were not cameras allowed inside this article 32 hearing. a preliminary hearing. there were stunning allegations brought forward. this is a hearing to determine if there may be a court marshall. on the first day, the prosecution brought commanders for bergdahl, one they were shocked to learn he had gone off his post in afghanistan in 2009. then they outlined what was the difficult and dangerous ordeal, how one man had literally refocused the u.s. mission in afghanistan. >> that came to find bergdahl. game two, then the defense comes forward. they had stunning revelations. number one, the

bergdahl blinking into the sun, special operations forces patting him down. then boarding that helicopter to freedom. tonight, the twist of fate, finally freed, bergdahl now facing the possibility of life behind bars for deserting his fellow soldiers. abc's chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz tonight. >> reporter: bowe bergdahl, now 29 years old, sat politely today in the courtroom, in uniform. it was 18 months ago, when bergdahl was freed from five brutal years of captivity in that dramatic and controversial exchange for five taliban leaders. weak and disoriented, he wept when u.s. special operations forces said they were taking him home. but now, bergdahl faces charges of desertion and endangering his unit, for walking away from his remote outpost in afghanistan in 2009. those who served with him, today describing the desperate, dangerous search when bergdahl disappeared. the prosecutor saying, "thousands of soldiers toiled in the heat and misery" searching for him. others testifying search helicopters were shot, soldiers injured by ieds, vehi

afghanistan when bergdahl up and left.o much. let me say for your service to our country and your time today. >> thank you for having me. >> let's begin with the lead investigator who you have been in touch with. bergdahl said he left. he needed to do something. he said there was poor leadership within this unit. he felt like he was in danger. so he could get access to higher level officials. you were there. you were serving. tell me about the leadership. did you feel like you were in danger? >> normal, i think it speaks to that claim that no one else ever brought this up. no one else ever deserted. so whatever leadership problems he was having were not evident with anybody else in the platoon. another thing is bergdahl had to report to his bosses. so whatever it says in his report, his bosses felt that it was enough evidence to push this to trial and charge with desertion and misbehavior. >> do you wish he were testifying? >> i mean, i don't care either way. if i was there, i know i would get the truth out for my perspect

it would be five years before bergdahl was freed. witness terrence russell today choked up, describing conditions of "absolute torture and horror." held blindfolded in a cage for nearly four years, bergdahl he said, sustained extensive lifelong injuries. major general dahl says he does not believe a sentence would be appropriate, but bergdahl could still face life in prison. >>> we turn to washington. house republicans today pushing through a bill to block federal money for planned parenthood. the bill is not expected to pass in the senate. >>> still much more ahead on "world news tonight." you're about to hear from the high school football players. they say someone told them to blind side the referee. >>> new developments in what was once called the "gone girl" case. what we're learning that couple is now planning to do. >>> and the mystery in the sky. many looking up, wondering just what was that? any guesses? we'll be right back. prevent heart disease? up could one. wishful thinking, right? but there is one step you can take to he

and it also explains for the first time why bowe bergdahl left.ccording to the general, that he was under a delusion that he believed his company, his command was being improperly led, so much so that his fellow soldiers were in jeopardy. so bowe bergdahl, his plan was to leave his post, run for the night, go to another base, and there he would meet with a general, and tell that general, you've got to do something. that never happened, because after he left his post, he was quickly apprehended by the taliban. it also brings up another point. it was said that many soldiers had died trying to find bowe bergdahl. this same general said that the investigation found not a single soldier did. and the attorney that represents bowe bergdahl spoke about all the negatives that had been said without much to back it up. here's what he said. >> there's no mystery about the extent of vilification and hostile coverage that sergeant bergdahl has sustained. i've said before, and i'll say it now, that i think that it seriously threatens his right to a fair trial. >

it would be five years before bergdahl was freed. witness terrence russell today choked up, describing conditions of "absolute torture and horror." held blindfolded in a cage for nearly four years, bergdahl, he said, sustained extensive lifelong injuries. major general dahl says he does not believe a jail sentence would be appropriate, but bergdahl could still face life in prison. >> martha, thank you. >>> we turn to washington. another step in the push to defund planned parenthood. house republicans today pushing through a bill to block federal funding for the organization. some conservatives threaten to shut down the government over the funding. the bill is not expected to pass in the senate. >>> still much more ahead on "world news tonight." an abc news exclusive. you're about to hear from the high school football players. after that moment on the field. all of it caught on camera. they say someone told them to blindside the referee. we'll hear from the players coming up in just a couple of moments. >>> new developments in what wa

. >>> back here at home, the defense in beau bergdahl's military its case. explaining where he left his post in 2009. they're wondering will he be sent to prison for life or walk away from the military? former pentagon spokesman on what he thinks will happen to bergdahl coming up next. >>> plus, a pair of twisters touching down in the midwest. incredible video caught by a storm chaseer. >>> time for a quick check of weather headlines. people in middleton, california, are being allowed to return home as evacuation orders are lifted for one of the areas hardest hit by a wildfire. it's about 48% contained. >>> a wildfire burning in the sierra nevada mountsens is 63% contained. the two fires killing five people and destroying more than 1100 homes. >>> a pair of tornadoes touching down in eastern kansas and western missouri, damaging several homes. storm chasers catching one twister on camera. only minor injuries were reported. >>> and mother nature put on a show in illinois. intense lightning illuminating the night sky. beautiful as severe weather hits parts of

bergdahl is waiting to hear his fate.is out front. >> after nearly five years in captivity, their son beau is coming home. >> you could forgive his family for forgiving the nightmare for their son was finally over. it wasn't. even before he got home, many americans believed bergdahl was a desserter and possibly a traitor. it sparked outrage especially when it was reported soldiers died looking for him. >> we are learning more and more about the six soldiers who lost their lives. >> reporter: the backlash caused his hometown to cancel plans for a homecoming. >> part of the poll reported says that bergdahl, i wanted to go to be a russian hitman. >> reporter: according to the army's own investigation, that narrative was completely false. during a hearing to decide if bergdahl should face a court-martial, two key witnesses took the stand, the army's lead investigator spent a day and a half interviewing bergdahl and says his investigation found no soldiers died looking for him. he also testified bergdahl left his post under th

and then carried on with a former member of bergdahl's unit who said bergdahl appeared to be the modelng-ho, ready to serve and was ready to go out and hunt down the taliban. once they got into afghanistan, he began to notice that bergdahl had something different. he was slightly off. he didn't gel with the rest of the unit. and it was so much of a concern, that his former sergeant went to another, more senior sergeant and raised the issue and said maybe bergdahl ought to have a talk with the chaplain to which he was immediately rebuffed. i won't use the language. so, this is what the defense is focusing on. kate and john? >> a lot of back and forth there, and it's far from over. that's for sure. martin savidge on the ground. let's bring in anita. what, first off, do you make of what we're hearing from martin that bergdahl, this they announced he won't be testifying in his own defense. does that surprise you? >> no. this is basically like a preliminary hearing. in the federal system you'd have a grand jury where bergdahl and his attorney wouldn't even be present in the first place. in

martha: day two of the hearing for army sergeant bowe bergdahl. bergdahl. bergdahl's defense team is up with his side of the story. we'll tell you what's going on in there. bill: they likely prevented a horrific tragedy slamming gunman to the ground on a european train. now those heroes are being honored at the highest levels of our government. >> meet the challenges echoing these stirring words of theirs, "let's go," from the pentagon to you three guys, well done. [applause] save money, zero hassle. >> i'll i'm as entertained as anyone about this back and forth about the personal history of don and carly's career. for the 50-year-old construction worker out there who doesn't have a job and can't fund their child's education. i could care less about your careers. carly you interrupt everybody else on this stage. don't interrupt me. bill: many feel he had strong feeling. nice to see you, thanks for coming back here. a lot to go through. you felt like she was talking over you. >> which she was. she was doing that to everybody thursday night. to the moderators

certainly for bergdahl. he spent five years as a taliban captive before being freed in a prisoner exchange last year. bergdahl is charged with deserting his unit and other counts. bergdahl's attorneys will present their evidence and call witnesses today. it's unclear if bergdahl will testify. >>> in the meantime, the chicago blackhawks star patrick kaine is speaking out for the first time since becoming the subject of a sexual assault investigation. the hockey star told reporters at blackhawks training camp yesterday that he's done nothing wrong and that he expected to be cleared. sources say kaine is accused of assaulting a woman at his home near buffalo last month. i has not been formally charged. >>> support is growing around the world for the texas teenager arrested when his homemade clock was miss taken for a fake bomb. he sat down to talk about his ordeal and his plans for the future. with more, here's abc's ryan owens. >> the 14-year-old arrested wearing a nasa t-shirt is nothing short of a techie sup

there was also another side to bergdahl. he had a higher moral standard than other people. he saw that other people didn't fit the higher standard that he perceived them to be especially for his military commanders in his platoon. he had an issue with that and wanted to bring it to the attention of the army command. he couldn't go up the chain of command in the platoon so came up with a scheme to hike to a nearby post about 20 miles away. now, he knew that leaving his post would trigger a massive search for him. and that would trigger the army's interest in finding him. when he was found he presumed that he would tell his side of the story about what was happening in his platoon to protect his fellow soldiers. that didn't work out that way. bergdahl was captured and held for 1,700 days and was tortured almost every day it was revealed today in testimony. this case now goes to possibly a court-martial but the man who conducted the investigation says that a prison sentence just doesn't fit this case for bergdahl. richard, back

. >>> still ahead, should bowe bergdahl face a court-martial?f what happened before he became a taliban prisoner. and also, a rare appearance from the greatest, mohammuhammad ali. to clean the oceans, to start a movement, or lead a country. it may not be obvious yet, but one of these kids is going to change the world. we just need to make sure she has what she needs. welcome to windows 10. the future starts now for all of us. '. >> the 673-year-old former champ muhammad ali received an ward for his life in and out of the ring. his wife spoke on his behalf. >> he believes lue can overcome the border, boundaries and walls both mental and physical that separate us. >> ali has been out of the public eye in recent years because of his advanced parkinson's disease but returned to his hometown for today's honor. the 306 horsepower lexus gs. experience the next level of performance, and there's no going back. lease the 2015 gs 350 with complimentary navigation system for these terms. see your lexus dealer. and sleep deprived. bring us those who want to

it is not said if bergdahl will testify. his commanding general will decide if he should face a court martial. >> emergency crews in california found two more victims of the state's devastating wildfires. the bodies were found inside homes burned by the valley fire northwest of sacramento. that wildfire and another, burning further east, killed at least five people and destroyed more than 800 homes. crews say rain and cooler weather have helped them make progress fighting the fires. >> summer isn't even over yet, but the national oceanic and atmospheric administration is already saying 2015 is likely to be the planet's hottest year on record. meteorologist nicole mitchell is here to tell us why. >> that's pretty amazing, considering a lot of our data is only through july, some of it through august and they're already making this prediction. part of that is because 97% he chance likely they say that will happen. we've already had such a hot year. it's an el niÑo year, july, june, august, all record-setting for the planet. cal

a member of bergdahl's platoon when he went missing. first of all, tell me about bergdahl. was he a good guy? did speak to him a lot? how was he in afghanistan? >> bergdahl was actually a really good soldier. that's why it was such a shock to find out he was gotten. he always wanted to learn weapon systems. red the ranger handbook. he was an inthrow vert. he always kept to himself when it wasn't work related. maybe only a handful of people who he got kind of close to. he never talked to me or really a lot of the guys he you knew about husband family and his background. just really liked to be left alone. >> okay, now, you guys were in southeastern afghanistan. very preemptive, tough territory there. so, usually, when you are are in a combat situation like that. that platoon bands together. did you notice anything strange about bergdahl before he took off? >> yes. actually we were on a mission and got stranded on a mountain and he said to me when we were just sitting around talking, i could see myself getting lost in these mountains and i think this country is beautiful. kin

jon: right now it is day two in a hearing on sergeant bowe bergdahl.as stressed the dangers of searching for him when he left his post in afghanistan back in 2009. his defense team is now getting its turn this court, planning to call four witnesses to the stand. casey steagall live from fort sam houston in san antonio. case key. >> and, jon, we just learned that sergeant bowe bergdahl will not be one of those witnesses taking the stand. there's a lot of speculation leading up to today that he may, in fact, speak. we would hear from him publicly for the first time, but his defense team says that will not happen. they're just going to call four different witnesses. they've spent much of the morning talking to some of his fellow soldiers who were in his platoon. sergeant greg leatherman, in particular, describes the 29-year-old as an introvert but someone who was likable. however, bergdahl, he says, was not finding fulfillment in his mission while he was deployed in afghanistan. he went on to say that he expressed his worries to his first sergeant and tha

do bergdahl's actions deem him worthy of a military trial?ng you the latest. >>> most pitchers don't like giving up home runs. after this one maybe he would rather the batter hit it out of park. ♪ every insurance policy has a number. but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. for those who've served and the families who've supported them, we offer our best service in return. ♪ usaa. we know what it means to serve. get an insurance quote and see why 92% of our members plan to stay for life. ♪ take the zantac it challenge! pill works fast? zantac works in as little as 30 minutes. nexium can take 24 hours. when heartburn strikes, take zantac for faster relief than nexium or your money back. take the zantac it challenge. >> day two in the article 32 hearing for sergeant bowe bergdahl to determine if he should be tried in military court. charged with desertion, and misbehavior before the enemy, for leaving his platoon in afghanistan in 2009. casey stiegel is live for us in san antonio. so, casey, what witnesses has the defense

. >>> and still ahead today, what fate awaits form taliban captive, bowe bergdahl?surprising new details from the investigation into whether bergdahl deserted his army unit in afghanistan. shopping online is as easy as it gets. wouldn't it be great if hiring plumbers, carpenters and piano tuners were just as simple? thanks to angie's list, now it is. we're making hiring anyone from a handyman to a dog walker as simple as a few clicks. you don't have to be a member to buy their services directly at angieslist.com but members save more on special offers. angie's list is revolutionizing local service again. visit angieslist.com today. verizon now has one simple plan. just pick a size. small, medium, large and extra large. if you need less data, pick small. if you need more, go with extra large-- a whopping 12 gigs for $80 a month plus $20 per phone. pick a size. change it up anytime. it's the simple way to get the best network. and now, get up to $400 when you switch. only at verizon. what's up mikey?ringing) (beep) play awe♪ome party song. hey buddy i heard you're hav

including bergdahl's former platoon leader captain john billings.illings described how thousands of soldiers risked their lives for 45 days to try to find bergdahl. in a region known as ied alley. under cross-examination, billings testified he had no idea about bergdahl's mental health history and defense attorneys haven't revealed how that could play into their case. they plan to call their own witnesses to the stand today, including major general kenneth dahl who conducted the army's investigation into his disappearance. >> stick around, you may learn more about what sergeant bergdahl told general dahl. >> reporter: bergdahl has never explained why he left. he spend nearly five years in taliban cap difficult after he deserted. it's unclear if his attorneys will put him on the stand today. hena daniels for cbs news. >> meanwhile crow way that is the latest country to close its border crossings. this news comes after the estimated 11,000 migrants entered the country through serbia. croatian authorities claim the towns are simply not prepared for the

bergdahl as he was told he was headed home. but it brought controversy, as well. in a military courtroom thursday where bergdahl faces charges of desertion and endangering the lives of his fellow soldiers, those who served with him in afghanistan talkeds of the desperate, dangerous search launched after bergdahl disappeared from his outpost in 2009. the prosecutor saying thousands of soldiers toiled in the heat and misery combing the mountains of eastern afghanistan for 45 days. in antibioticle testimony clinton baker said it was overwhelming. helicopters shot at. soldiers injured by ieds, vehicles destroyed. there was someone trying to kill them the whole time. it was gut wrenching said another. bergdahl's platoon leader, john billi billi billings said for the first time in nye career i had lost a soldier. i felt almost as if i had failed my men." the majority of those looking for bergdahl having no idea at the time he had walked away from the outpost on his own. bergdahl's attorney has said he was not trying to desert, he was

bergdahl was stationed in southeastern afghanistan when he vanished in june of 2009. he walked off his unit's base, leaving behind his weapon, protective gear and other military equipment. >> my name is bowe bergdahl. >> at some point, he was captured by the taliban and held prisoner for five years. >> we are committed to closing gitmo, but we also have an ironclad commitment to bring our prisoners of war home. >> the president's words ignited a firestorm of controversy. soldiers who served with bergdahl accused him of wanting to join the taliban. >> we want people to realize that he is not an american hero. he is not -- he didn't serve be with honor and dignity and respect and he is a deserter in a time of war. >> sergeant bergdahl endangered the lives of thousands of men and women who went to search for him. he diverted resources from our units that desperately needed those assets. >> the government has repeatedly said that there is no proof that anyone was killed trying to rescue bergdahl and tried to defend their actions in securing his release. >> this is the rig

the taliban claims five days later they have captured bergdahl.he disappeared, bergdahl e-mailed his parents telling them he ran over a girl with his armored truck. in 2010, an investigation concluded that bergdahl walked away from his unit but

right after bergdahl was released from the taliban and they interrogated bergdahl and he wants thatcument will speak for itself that his client will not take the stand, at least in this hearing. on the stand right now is a fellow soldier who fought alongside bergdahl in the war in afghanistan, and he says that as the group of soldiers were sitting around and talking, they put together what they called a super squad, who they would want on their team, and they said everybody at the top of the list was bergdahl, he was a man and soldier that wanted to take the fight to the evenemy, and he wa not a coward and wanted to fight, and as the weeks moved on, he noticed bergdahl was not acting with the soldiers, and he wanted to tell the higherup commands, and the master sergeant said i don't want to hear from a lower ranked soldier of any problems in my platoon, get back to work, and that's what the judge is hearing in the case. three other witnesses are expected to testify today including general kenneth dahl, and he is the general that interrogated bergdahl for hours, and we want to hear w

new theory in the case of bowe bergdahl.alked away from his post, bergdahl did to it be a whistle blower did to try to expose leadership problems. this coming at the hearing to determine if bergdahl should face a court martial and spend the rest of his life potentially in prison. michael walsh is a commander of the army special forces. warrior diplomat joins us with his reaction on this. great to have you this morning first of all the general who did the investigation, who interviewed this man, spent countless hours interviewing bergdahl testified yesterday and he said essentially painted a picture not of a deserter but a whistle blower. he said derg dal felt luke he knew more than his superiors and more qualified than his fellow soldiers. he felt things were going terribly wrong at growth outpost concerned for fellow soldiers. he felt he needed to run away 19 miles to get back to the main base to warn people, to warn his superiors there. what is your reaction to that? >> first i find that testimony from bergdahl a bit hard

he went on, bergdahl is described as an army of one. alone for 4 years, 11 months. you cannot everestimate how difficult that is. he finished by saying and he has my respect for it. you could have heard a pin drop. that literally brought people to a pause to hear that kind of an endorsement from such a man who knew so much about p.o.w.s. >> wow, and the whole why. the reason why apparently bergdahl says he left the platoon was because he said it was poor leadership and wanted to make a ruckus to talk to a high ranking official. >> his plan sounds crazy and that, in fact, is what the defense says it was. they brought forward records that show that bowe bergdahl had been washed out of the u.s. coast guard because he had failed mentally. in other words, they didn't deem him mentally fit to serve the coast guard. somehow the army overlooked that. but bowe bergdahl says to the army investigators that he was afraid that their leadership was going to lead and get his men killed. he needed to talk to somebody off post. that's why he left the ou

we'll analyze bergdahl's case tomorrow. but watters wasn't thrilled. to washington. >> i just had a quick question. >> i don't do ambush interviews. if you want to talk to us, there's my press secretary. >> i just had a question -- excuse me, senator. >> don't push me. you pushed me. >> bill was upset because you hadn't done the show. he feels like you're used to be a friend of the show. you're not so big time now that you're going to forget about about your friends, right? senator, while i have you here, are you afraid of hillary clinton? senator? do you trust hillary clinton? o'reilly is a little concerned if you do become president, you might seize his house. should he be worried? all right, senator. well, thank you very much. for this pleasure. maybe we could do this another time. >> i should say we have called and called and called and called. you're obnoxious but you're obnoxious for a reason. did he have a nice watch? >> he did smile when i asked about seizing your house. he did crack a smile. i wanted to ask if he had a secret server at his hou

some new developments today in the military hearing for sergeant bo burriwe bergdahl.t's the first step in determining whether he should be court marshalled for abandoning his post in afghanistan. our correspondent is in san antonio to tell us more about the recommendation for no jail time. tristan? >> reporter: that's correct. today we heard a lot about what was going through sergeant bergdahl mind when he was in afghanistan. a fellow soldier painted a picture of him being unable to adjust to army life. major general kenneth doll, the officer in charge of the investigation did characterize bergdahl as unrealistically idealistic, and recommended that there should be no jail time in the case. >> i understand people were also talking during the court hearing about troubles he had prior to these allegations that he deserted his troop. what else happened in that hearing today? >> reporter: that is correct, they brought up his time in the coast guard when he essentially washed out, and then later went into the army. a lot of that was talking about how that sort of unrealist