Wounded Soldier’s Wife Expected to Provide Testimony Against Bergdahl at His Sentencing

The wife of a wounded soldier is expected to provide testimony against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl at his sentencing hearing in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Monday.

Prosecutors say they intend to call Shannon Allen to the stand to talk about her husband’s traumatic brain injury that he suffered while searching for Bergdahl, who left his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

National Guard Master Sgt. Mark Allen was on an intelligence-gathering mission with other U.S and Afghan troops in July 2009 when insurgents ambushed them using machine guns, small arms, and rocket propelled grenades.

Allen tried to place a radio call when a bullet hit him near his temple. The wound left him with a traumatic injury that left him unable to speak, walk, or do everyday tasks without assistance.

“I wish [Bergdahl] no ill will. I am glad he is no longer a prisoner… People lost their lives – even Mark, who no longer has the life he had before. I just think [Bergdahl] needs to face the consequences. He still needs to be held accountable for what he did,” Shannon told the Walton Tribune a few years ago.

Shannon Allen has not given any recent press interviews, but those in the courtroom on the day Bergdahl pleaded guilty noticed how the case took a toll on her as she broke down sobbing in the courtroom. She is one of the last prosecution witnesses to take the stand before the defense presents their witnesses.

Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

Prosecutors are using service members who suffered wounds searching for Bergdahl to convince the judge to hand down a harsh sentence. Bergdahl’s lawyers argue that their client’s responsibility is limited because the U.S. military commanders who ordered the searches and the enemy attacks are also responsible for these soldiers’ wounds.