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Three years captivity for Idahoan
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June 29, 2012 |
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Army sergeant
Bowe Bergdahl |
On June 30, the only U.S. prisoner of war being
held in the War on Terror, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl,
26, Hailey, Idaho, will have spent a full three
years as a captive of the Taliban in Eastern
Afghanistan.
"We remain hopeful for the release of our son
and we will continue to work to make that
happen," Bowe's parents, Bob and Jani, said in a
release issued the day before the anniversary.
"The yellow ribbons we see all around our own
community remind us that our son has not been
forgotten here at home or around the world."
The U.S Defense Department remains focused on
ending Bergdahl's captivity, and are in close
contact with the family as the years stretch on.
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Residents of
Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho,
keep him in their thoughts. |
"Every day, there is time, attention and
sometimes substantial resources applied to
trying to locate, identify where he is, and to
continue to look at options for how to get him
home," said Pentagon spokesman Navy captain John
Kirby. "Our thoughts and prayers and our hearts
go out to the Bergdahl family, and we appreciate
the anguish that they continue to endure."
Bergdahl, then a private first class, went
missing from his duty station in Afghanistan
June 30, 2009, and he was declared
missing/captured three days later. He served
with 1/501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the
25th Infantry Division, based at Fort
Richardson, Alaska.
"It's a sad day for all Idahoans as we face the
reality that one of our native sons is about to
enter his fourth year of captivity," said Idaho
Governor Butch Otter. "Since this began three
years ago, I have met with the Bergdahls several
times and am impressed with the fortitude
they've shown throughout this unimaginable
ordeal. I know that part of their strength comes
from the support they receive in their
community, and from citizens around our state
and our nation. I know the Department of Defense
and other U.S. agencies are doing all they can
to safely bring Sergeant Bergdahl home to his
family." |
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