(U.S. Air Force)
(Tribune News Service) — The Air Force has suspended two commanding officers linked with Jack Teixeira, a member of the same military unit who is accused of posting a trove of classified government documents online.
The commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron and a detachment commander — who oversees administrative support — were suspended “pending further investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told NBC News.
Officials suspect they might have helped Teixeira, a 21-year-old air national guardsman, leak a series of documents online, among them briefing slides detailing Ukrainian military positions as well as assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive topics.
Teixeira was arrested earlier this month and charged with possessing classified documents pertaining to national security and possessing national defense material. Investigators believe he was the leader of an online private chat group on Discord — a platform popular with gamers — where he shared details from the classified documents starting in December 2022.
The chat group, nicknamed Thug Shaker Central, was made up of roughly two dozen people who discussed their favorite types of guns while trading memes and debating current events.
Authorities were able to track down Teixeira through billing information associated with his account on Discord.
Both commanding officers and Teixeira belong to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts. Officials said additional members of the unit could face suspension as an investigation into the leak unfolds.
The Air Force also recently stripped the Cape Cod-based unit of an assigned intelligence mission until it becomes clear how Teixeira was able to obtain and leak the sensitive materials.
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