BY KAREN BOSSICK

The long saga of former Hailey resident Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl may be coming to an end.

The Army sergeant pleaded guilty to desertion and endangering his comrades on Monday during a motions hearing Monday in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held for five years after walking away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Now 31, he told the judge that he understood that leaving was against the law. He said he tried to escape 12 to 15 times, managing to evade capture for a week at one time, according to the Associated Press.

Previously, Bergdahl said that he walked away hoping to draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit. A Navy SEAL was wounded in the leg while searching for him, and an Army National Guardsman was shot in the head, necessitating the use of a wheelchair.

Bergdahl is scheduled to be sentenced by a military judge Oct. 23. He could face imprisonment for the rest of his life.