Left his post : Army Sgt . Bowe Bergdahl walked away from the army and was captured by the Taliban in June of 2009 . The former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen knew that Army Sgt . Bowe Bergdhal deserted his post in 2009 , claim three of the controversial soldier 's comrades . The men say that Mullen , who served President Obama and then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates six years ago , was certain that Bergdahl had fled the army and was guilty of desertion . The claims mean that Mullen was in a position to tell the president his soldier had run away five years before National Security Adviser Susan Rice told the world that Bergdahl served honorably . It also casts a huge shadow over the deal to swap five Taliban commanders for Bergdahl that culminated in a Rose Garden ceremony hosted by Obama to celebrate his release and attended by his parents . ' I asked him ( Mullen ) if he knew about Bergdahl and that he deserted and he ( Mullen ) told me that he knew of the circumstances surrounding his walking off , ' said former Sgt . Matt Vierkant told Fox , 'and that they were developing leads and following leads , trying to do everything they could to get him back . ' This development comes one week after officials scheduled a July hearing for the Army sergeant who left his post in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years . Bergdahl says he walked away because of PTSD and is not a deserter . Vierkrant claims he and two other collegagues , Evan Buetow and Cody Full , were providing security for Mullen while he was on a trip to Afghanistan in December 2009 - six months after Bergdahl was captured . Vierkrant claims that during an unguarded question and answer session , Mullen said they could ask him anything . 'So Matt asked him , you know Bergdahl deserted , what 's going on with that ? And Admiral Mullen said , 'Yes , we know all the circumstances surrounding Bergdahl walking away from the OP ( outpost , ) and we 're still working on getting him back , figuring out where he is and kind of figuring out that whole situation . ' Scroll Down for Video . Admiral Mike Mullen , former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , allegedly told three comrades of Bergdahl that the soldier was a deserter . Specialist Cody Full confirmed that this is what Mullen said as did Buetow . ' I do n't remember him being taken aback by it at all , you know , he knew what was going on , he answered not confidently but he did n't have to think about it , he did n't want to give us some political answer , ' Buetow explained to Fox . 'He just gave us an answer . ' According to former White House aides this means it is inconceivable that Mullen would not have told President Obama and raises questions as to the prisoner swap for a known deserter . 'If Mullen knew , and now it 's alleged that he did know , it would be , it would be unthinkable that he did n't pump this up the chain of command , his chain of command , or , tell the president directly , ' said Brad Blakeman , a former Bush White House staffer to Fox News . 'At a minimum , this would have been included in the president 's daily brief , and at a maximum , it would 've been told directly to the President by Mullen . ' Days after his rescue ( right ) , Bergdahl ( pictured left in a video released by the Taliban in 2010 ) was in stable condition at a U.S. military hospital in Germany . U.S. President Barack Obama stands with Bob Bergdahl ( R ) and Jami Bergdahl ( L ) as he delivers a statement about the release of their son , prisoner of war U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl , in the Rose Garden at the White House in May , 2014 . Mullen spoke to Fox News and defended his decisions . 'From the moment Sgt . Bergdahl went missing , the U.S. Military was focused on finding him -- as it does with any serviceman or woman who goes missing . The exact circumstances were not known then , nor did they drive our decisions . We do not leave our people behind . ' Vierkant said that he wants to know what his superior officers knew and when they knew it . ' I want to ask him ( Mullen ) did they brief the White House ? Who knew about it and why would you still do this trade knowing all the information that you knew ? ' said Vierkant . 'We do n't leave anyone behind . The thing is , we never left him ( Bergdahl ) behind . He left us behind . He chose to walk off and do whatever and get captured , that was his fault . Those were his choices . ' Bergdahl is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy . Army officials announced Thursday that his Article 32 hearing will be held July 8 at Fort Sam Houston , Texas . That proceeding is similar to a civilian grand jury . From there , it could be referred to a court-martial and go to trial . Officials say Bergdahl walked away from his post in Afghanistan and was captured by the Taliban . He was then released from Taliban control in a prisoner exchange last May for five Taliban commanders . He faces up to life in prison if convicted of misbehavior before the enemy .
Former Sgt . The former sergeant was convicted of the murder in June last year and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 15 years. Claims the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs told him this during private question and answer session . Ex-White House aides have said it is inconceivable that President Obama did not know . Bergdahl is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy .