http://thehill.com/policy/defense/207939-bergdahl-in-stable-condition-us-hospital-in-germany-saysBy Rebecca Shabad - 06/02/14 02:17 PM EDT
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was in stable condition Monday at a military hospital in Germany, according to multiple reports.
The lone U.S. prisoner of war in Afghanistan, Bergdahl was freed Saturday after five years of Taliban captivity in a swap for five detainees from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison.
He is currently receiving a medical and psychological evaluation, and treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Bergdahl, 28, has not spoken to his parents yet, and will do so when psychologists treating him believe the time is right, officials told NBC News.
The hospital said it doesn't know how long the initial recovery process will take.
“There is no pre-determined amount of time involved in the reintegration process,” the hospital said in a statement Monday. Hospital officials said it would move “at a pace with which he is comfortable.”
Part of the treatment involves “attention to dietary and nutritional needs after almost five years in captivity,” the hospital said.
It remains unclear what condition Bergdahl was in when he was released, but Obama administration officials said the swap needed to be done quickly because his life was in danger and his health deteriorating.
Intelligence and military officials, meanwhile, are in the process of interviewing Bergdahl to learn about his experience as a prisoner of war.
In exchange for Bergdahl, President Obama authorized five Taliban prisoners to be sent on Sunday to Qatar, where they must remain for a year.
The move sparked controversy, with lawmakers saying they were allowed to review the decision and questioning whether it would encourage terror groups to try to capture other American service members.
Bergdahl is expected to eventually return to the U.S. for a homecoming.
Bergdahl’s parents were told about his release by Obama and joined him Saturday when he made a brief address.
