Sergeant Bowe R. Bergdahl (file photo)
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier freed in a swap with the Afghan Taliban, has been released from a Texas medical center and is now in outpatient care, the US Army said Sunday.
Bergdahl spent nearly five years in captivity at the hands of Taliban-linked Haqqani insurgents after he went missing from his post in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border.
He was released on May 31 as part of a controversial swap with the Taliban and had been receiving treatment and counseling at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, since his return to the United States on June 13.
"Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's medical status has changed from inpatient care at Brooke Army Medical Center to continued reintegration and medical care as an outpatient on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston," a US Army statement said.
"His reintegration process continues with exposure to more people and a gradual increase of social interactions."
The brief statement said Bergdahl was continuing to receive psychological counseling "to ensure he progresses to the point where he can return to duty."
The Army did not provide details on Bergdahl's whereabouts, saying it was refraining from sharing specifics about his location "in order to safeguard the reintegration process."
Days after his return to the United States, the Army said it had launched an investigation into why Bergdahl went missing and was later captured.
The probe was announced amid persistent speculation that Bergdahl deserted his post in late June 2009, with some soldiers in his unit alleging he walked away alone.
Bergdahl has yet to speak to the news media about his ordeal.