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America鈥檚 top military officer said Tuesday that the Army 鈥渨ill not look away from misconduct鈥� in the case of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, but that for the time being, those questions are separate from the military鈥檚 effort to rehabilitate one of its own.

鈥淚n the meantime,鈥� Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on his Facebook page, 鈥渨e will continue to care for him and his family.鈥�

It is what is known in the US military as 鈥渞eintegration鈥� 鈥� the Pentagon鈥檚 highly regimented process for bringing prisoners of war back from captivity into everyday life.

Before it is possible to learn what Bergdahl was thinking when he left his base, as some of his fellow soldiers charge, the military must first help him heal, intelligence experts say, adding that throughout America鈥檚 wars of the past century, US soldiers have routinely 鈥渄one stupid things鈥� like wander off their bases.

鈥淚f you decide to go to war, you are also going to plan for things like that,鈥� says Malcolm Nance, a counterterrorism intelligence expert who taught advanced terrorist hostage survival at a US Navy school in Coronado, Calif.

When Bergdahl鈥檚 father, Bob Bergdahl, made his first public remarks following his son鈥檚 release after five years in captivity, he cited the long recovery process that his son now embarks upon.

That recovery process will have its roots in the training that all soldiers receive to handle a possible capture.

US troops on the forward edge of America鈥檚 wars who are under 鈥渆xtraordinary risk of capture鈥� by enemy forces 鈥� think Navy SEALs, snipers, and attack helicopter pilots 鈥� all receive extensive training in resisting captivity and, if they are taken prisoner, how to remain psychologically strong.

It鈥檚 a key part of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training that US troops get before going to war.

As a lower-ranking enlisted soldier in a more conventional Army unit, however, Bergdahl was likely to receive only 鈥淟evel A鈥� instruction. That involves learning the code of conduct for a captured soldier 鈥� stating name, rank, and service number, but avoiding answering further questions and making no statement disloyal to the country 鈥� yet little else.

鈥淲e teach them that basically, they have to resist to their utmost ability,鈥� Nr. Nance says.

Regardless of the circumstances under which Bergdahl was taken by insurgent forces in Afghanistan, 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e captured, your war starts in captivity,鈥� Nance adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a battlefield of the mind.鈥�

Because he was captured in an active armed conflict by an enemy not recognized as an organized combatant force, Bergdahl is more akin to a terrorist hostage than a prisoner of war. 鈥淲e are in a gray area,鈥� Nance says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to be given your Red Cross letter card.鈥�

Indeed, Bergdahl was probably at a disadvantage in handling the situation. More-advanced resistance courses teach US service members to 鈥渂e prepared to be smacked across the face and hit with a rifle,鈥� Nance says. They also might offer instruction on how to take part in a hostage video under duress 鈥� while Bergdahl 鈥渉ad to fumble his way through it and allow himself to be exploited.鈥�

Bob Bergdahl thanked the family鈥檚 鈥淪ERE psychologist鈥� from the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) for his support of the family in its darkest hours. The psychologist 鈥� and the others with whom Bowe Bergdahl will work in the weeks to come 鈥� will be integral to his recovery, Nance says.

As he returns, Bergdahl is likely to be grappling with Stockholm syndrome, Nance says: 鈥淲e expect all of that stuff.鈥� As Bergdahl begins his recovery, 鈥淲e will bring him back into the Army,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲e will dress him in uniform,鈥� even if that is an Army T-shirt and gym shorts that soldiers wear for physical training.

SERE psychologists will then begin 鈥渨eaning鈥� him back into everyday American life. Based on Nance鈥檚 experiences with other prisoners of war, he says that Bergdahl 鈥渨ill probably speak Pashto, curse in Pashto, and he鈥檒l talk with a funny accent.鈥�

Regardless of how he was captured, the job of SERE psychologists is to help convince prisoners of war not always inclined to believe it that 鈥測ou are not accountable for anything you did unless you actively collaborated with enemy forces,鈥� Nance adds.聽

An important part of the process from the Pentagon鈥檚 perspective will also be the debriefing in which the US military will attempt to glean vital bits of intelligence from Bergdahl鈥檚 experience.

鈥淭his is hot, active intelligence,鈥� Nance says. 鈥淲e need to learn lessons from him.鈥�