A dishonorable discharge (DD), similarly referred to as a “duck dinner” in military slang, can only be handed down to an enlisted member by a general court-martial. Dishonorable discharges are handed down for what the military considers the most reprehensible conduct. This type of discharge may be rendered only by conviction at a general court-martial for serious offenses (e.g., desertion, sexual assault, murder, etc.) that call for dishonorable discharge as part of the sentence.
With this characterization of service, all veterans’ benefits are lost, regardless of any past honorable service, and this type of discharge is regarded as shameful in the military. In many states a dishonorable discharge is deemed the equivalent of a felony conviction, with attendant loss of civil rights. Additionally, US federal law prohibits possession of firearms by those who have been dishonorably discharged per the Gun Control Act of 1968.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_discharge
I spent a career as an Army Officer so I am aware of what a DD is. I had forgotten however what I heard tonight, the Convening Authority, in this case a 4 star has to approve the sentence. There is some hope that the General will throw this out and start over and go for a full court martial. Clearly Bergdahl did not want a panel of senior NCOs and Officers to judge him. Give it to his defense attorneys, they guided him to the promised land, at least to this point.