The Air Power has suspended two commanding officers linked with Jack Teixeira, a member of the identical navy unit who’s accused of posting a trove of categorised authorities paperwork on-line.
The commander of the 102nd Intelligence Assist Squadron and a detachment commander — who oversees administrative assist — have been suspended “pending additional investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” Air Power spokesperson Ann Stefanek informed NBC Information.
Officers suspect they could have helped Teixeira, a 21-year-old air nationwide guardsman, leak a collection of paperwork on-line, amongst them briefing slides detailing Ukrainian navy positions in addition to assessments of worldwide assist for Ukraine and different delicate subjects.
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Teixeira was arrested earlier this month and charged with possessing classified documents pertaining to national security and possessing nationwide protection materials. Investigators consider he was the chief of a web-based non-public chat group on Discord — a platform fashionable with avid gamers — the place he shared particulars from the categorised paperwork beginning in December 2022.
The chat group, nicknamed Thug Shaker Central, was made up of roughly two dozen individuals who mentioned their favourite varieties of weapons whereas buying and selling memes and debating present occasions.
Authorities have been in a position to observe down Teixeira by billing info related along with his account on Discord.
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Each commanding officers and Teixeira belong to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air Nationwide Guard Base in Massachusetts. Officers mentioned further members of the unit may face suspension as an investigation into the leak unfolds.
The Air Power additionally just lately stripped the Cape Cod-based unit of an assigned intelligence mission till it turns into clear how Teixeira was in a position to receive and leak the delicate supplies.
