Soldier could face life in prison if convicted on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will face a military trial on charges that he deserted his unit in Afghanistan in 2009 and endangered the lives of soldiers who searched for him, the Army said Monday, a move that means he could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. Sgt. Bergdahl, who was subsequently captured by the Taliban before being returned to the U.S. in a controversial prisoner exchange in 2014, is accused of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The decision to pursue a court-martial was reached by Gen. Robert Abrams, who heads Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C. It comes two months after an Army officer recommended that Sgt. Bergdahl, 29, not face jail time or a punitive discharge from the military. Following an Article 32 preliminary hearing in the case, Lt. Colonel Mark Visger recommended in October that Sgt. Bergdahl face a special court-martial—essentially a military version of a misdemeanor court—according to Sgt. Bergdahl’s civilian defense lawyer, Eugene Fidell. Gen. Abrams instead opted for a general court-martial, a far more serious proceeding. The desertion charge in Sgt. Bergdahl’s case carries a five-year maximum sentence, while the misbehavior before the enemy count, a much rarer military violation, could result in a life sentence.

According to Mr. Fidell, Sgt. Bergdahl is currently assigned to desk duty at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston in Texas but isn’t being confined or restricted to the base.

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