Allow the military justice system to run its course before rushing to judgment on the Bowe Bergdahl controversy, multiple local veterans said.

Bergdahl, an Army sergeant from Hailey, Idaho, was America's lone detainee in Afghanistan before he was released last Saturday in a swap for five Taliban militants who were being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The exchange - both for having occurred without notification of Congress, and for Bergdahl's alleged actions of deserting his unit before he was captured about five years ago - has touched off a national debate.

"Sgt. Bergdahl is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and should be treated with due respect and provided the opportunity to address the questions which he will be confronted with," said Post Falls resident George Rekow, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

"The UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) addresses almost every type of situation that can be imagined. Thus, Sgt. Bergdahl will be afforded all rights and privileges as a member subject to the UCMJ. Let the system run its course and permit the Army to exercise its jurisdiction within the UCMJ. The end result is Sgt. Bergdahl's, not anyone else."

Len Crosby, a Vietnam veteran from Post Falls, said the flurry of attention that the exchange has generated should be kept in perspective for now.

"At this point, we have a lot of allegations being made and conclusions being drawn that need more careful and thorough review before we draw any conclusions," Crosby said.

Bill Brooks, an Army veteran, said it's always a good thing when an American soldier can be returned safely home and that the public shouldn't rush to judgment.

"Based on the accusations of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers, the facts yet to be determined warrant a serious, formal investigation," Brooks said. "If it is shown that Bergdahl did intentionally leave his post without being properly relieved, he should be prosecuted as a collaborator, AWOL (absence without leave) and perhaps as a deserter."

Brooks also believes the exchange was engineered by the Obama administration to distract from other scandals.

"The timing of the negotiation and release of Bergdahl is no coincidence," he said.

Brooks said Bergdahl isn't a hero and that it was "entirely appropriate" for the town of Hailey to cancel the celebration of his return rather than be ground zero for more controversy and security concerns.

"At best, (Bergdahl) is a confused, immature young man whose actions may have cost at least six of his fellow soldiers (who were searching for him) their lives and has put Americans at further risk," Brooks said. "At worst, he's a deserter and worthy of prosecution under military law."

Bergdahl is undergoing medical evaluations at a military hospital in Germany.

Bob Hunt, a Vietnam veteran, said he's skeptical if the truth and appropriate consequence, if any, will come out during the investigation.

"Considering how the Fort Hood shootings were declared workplace violence, one cannot really expect this administration to allow the normal course of military justice to investigate and then proceed as the facts indicate," he said.

National leaders, including President Barack Obama, have said the reason lawmakers weren't told about the exchange was because there were indications that Bergdahl's health was deteriorating and a risk that the Taliban would kill Bergdahl if the deal collapsed or leaked out. Critics don't believe his health had declined to where an emergency rescue was needed.

Federal law requires Congress to be told 30 days before a prisoner is released from the U.S. military prison. However, Obama administration officials said the rule was designed for normal detainee transfers, not emergency situations such the one involving Bergdahl.

Dee Sasse, who served in the Coast Guard, said she believes that Bergdahl made a "grave mistake" and he should have to pay the price, but she also believes the investigation needs to run its course.

"From his training in the Army, he would know the consequences if he was to leave his post," she said.

Hunt said he hopes the controversy won't overshadow the job done by others who have served the country.

"The loyalty and service of others is far more important than his walkabout with the enemy," Hunt said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.