finding that Bergdahl deserted because that would require knowing his intent -- something Army officials could n't learn without talking to the soldier, a U.S. military official told CNN. The prisoner exchange has become a political football, with Republicans who once called for the administration to work for Bergdahl's return now saying the cost was too high. Was Rand Paul's red meat joke a bit too raw ? Slow recovery Bergdahl is continuing to improve every day as he recovers at a military hospital in Germany, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said Monday, but he has n't spoken with his family yet. The decision to speak with the family is a decision the returnee has to make when he or she is emotionally in the right place to make the phone call, Warren said. When he is ready, Bergdahl will be flown to the San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas, where he may be able to reunite with his parents. As Bergdahl recovers, details are slowly emerging about the conditions he endured during five years of captivity. Citing an American official, The New York Times reported Sunday that Bergdahl told medical staff that the box he was kept in for weeks at a time was pitch black and like a shark cage. CNN reported Friday that Bergdahl has said he was kept in a small box after trying to escape, according to a senior U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of not being identified.