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Bergdahl Moves Into Post Housing, Continues Reintegration On Outpatient Basis

Joint Base San Antonio
The San Antonio Military Medical Center, part of the Brooke Army Medical Center.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s medical status has been changed from inpatient care at Brooke Army Medical Center hospital to continued reintegration and medical care on an outpatient basis.

Bergdahl was released from in-hospital care into post housing at Fort Sam Houston, and he will continue to receive counseling and debriefing at BAMC.

Bergdahl is still being exposed gradually to the outside world, but it is not known how much of the media coverage Bergdahl has seen about his story at this point.

Army South Command spokesman Col. Hans Bush said Bergdahl is not being permitted unlimited access to television.

"To say he can watch TV whenever he wants wouldn't be accurate. That's metered how it's introduced during reintegration," Bush said.

This phase of Bergdahl’s reintegration includes an increase in social interactions with more people.

Bergdahl's return has been the subject of public and political speculation since he was released from captivity in exchange for five Taliban members who had been held at Guantanamo Bay.

Bush said the Army South reintegration team is gradually exposing Bergdahl to the public narrative about him, his captivity, and his activities before and after he was captured.

"In fact it's being done as a very deliberate part of his reintegration because our goal at the end is that you can walk out of reintegration, step out as a soldier and do the next thing the army directs you to do," Bush said. "Part of that is going to be to cope with all the media."

The Army will determine in its investigation whether Bergdahl will be classified as a prisoner of war, a status which carries certain benefits. Right now the Army refers to Bergdahl a "former captive."

The Army’s investigation is ongoing and Bergdahl at some point after reintegration is expected to have to answer some questions.

Reintegration is a specific set of modalities used by the Army to help former captives readjust to normal professional and family activities after they are returned to the U.S.  

Army South in San Antonio is the command charged with conducting all reintegrations across the Department of Defense.

Eileen Pace is a veteran radio and print journalist with a long history of investigative and feature reporting in San Antonio and Houston, earning more than 50 awards for investigative reporting, documentaries, long-form series, features, sports stories, outstanding anchoring and best use of sound.