It is hard not to have sympathy for Bowe Berghdal. If you are a listener to Serial, or if you simply have an imagination, you understand that five years with the Taliban was brutal. Though what was even more of a challenge for this POW was that his “welcome home” in May 2014 was smothered by the vicious political games of United States politics.

Bowe’s reintegration had a slow beginning when he first arrived at an army hospital in Landstuh, Germany. “He can’t talk, really. He’s blinking and squinting. For five years, he’d had only a few things: a bowl, a blanket, a water bottle,” said Serial journalist Sarah Koenig.

SERE—the military’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training-had been prepping for Bowe’s return for years. Everything was worked down to a science: how to walk Bowe from the plane to the bus, how to speak to him, etc. “They’d explain exactly how the day was going to go. Food will come at 10. There’s a strategic debriefing at 1,” Koenig remarked. According to Serial, the SERE team would ask Bowe, “Is that OK? If it’s not OK, we don’t have to do it. You want your food at 11? That’s OK too,”

Bowe was reborn into an interactive society. There were chairs and sofas and free will to make independent decisions. “They’re trying to remove the helpless feeling by giving me complete control over everything, asking me everything,” said Bergdahl. That seemed to be working well until anxious politicians like Jeff Miller pushed a slow beginning to an immediate end.

In Washington, Congress was heated regarding the Obama administration’s decision to trade five members of the Taliban from Guantanamo Bay for Sergeant Bergdhal without notice. “It was agreed all around, Republicans and Democrats, the administration had pulled a fast one by not giving the 30-day notice,” said Koenig. The Government Accountability Office found that the DOD broke the law by not issuing the notice.

In response, congress pushed back with the power of the pen though legislation reform. Every year, the House and Senate Armed Service Committees construct a large defense bill specifying procedure for signing off on transfers of Guantanamo detainees. Following the Bergdahl trade, Republicans rewrote the language of this bill to make sure the process would be more difficult than ever before.

In response, Republicans grew anxious for the return of the man who had let five Gitmo prisoners free. In addressing then US Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, Jeff Miller remarked, “No, Mr. Secretary. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Why hasn’t he been returned to the United States?” From then on, Landstuhl forcefully received word that Bowe needed a speedier recovery process.

Former Air Force SERE psychologist Michael Valdovinos remarked, “You know, it really started feeling like it wasn’t about the reintegration, per se, anymore. It wasn’t about his overall wellbeing. It was much more…it started becoming really political and administrative.”

During Bowe’s time in captivity, and part of his time in Germany, he had no knowledge he was the topic for talking heads. He didn’t know he was the subject of national interest. He had no idea of the controversy his actions had created. Regardless, politicians, lawmakers, and their constituency all crafted their idea of Bowe.

In my opinion, Sarah Koenig said it best. “Bowe didn’t end up being a model soldier, but he’d been, by all accounts, a model POW.” Other political figures like Susan Rice would agree. As Rice had mentioned in conversation with the press, someone held in such extreme conditions had paid the price. Regardless, it is sad to say Bowe contused to be robbed of his dignity as trial and sentencing faced him on his “welcome home.”