The United States Air Force (USAF) disciplined 15 servicemembers over their roles in the Jack Teixeira Discord leak case over a "lack of supervision," and a "culture of complacency."
Authorities said that these factors helped enable the 21-year-old airman to publicly share hundreds of classified documents online. On Monday, the Air Force delivered a report to Congress where it blamed Teixeira's superiors for failing to restrict his access to classified systems and facilities.
Air Force Investigation Into Discord Leak Case
They said that the members also failed to alert appropriate authorities during the time that the suspect was believed to have been illegally sharing government secrets. The agency was able to complete its investigation in August but only notified Congress and disclosed the findings on Monday.
This was after it was informed that The Washington Post was publishing a multipart investigation into the Discord leaks. The first article in the series was published on Monday morning and a "Frontline" or Post documentary was set to premiere on Tuesday, as per the Washington Post.
The Air Force inspector general's office found that while the 21-year-old suspect is believed to have worked alone in the Discord leak case, other members in his unit "had information about as many as four separate instances of his questionable activities.
The eight-page summary of the investigation noted that after interviews with several higher levels of the supervisory chain, there appears to have been knowledge of the security incidents that were not fully disclosed above the squadron level.
The summary added that there were three individuals in the unit who allegedly understood their duty to report specific information regarding A1C Teixeira's intelligence-seeking as well as insider threat indicators to security officials that they failed to report.
In a statement, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said that every airman and guardian is entrusted with the solemn duty of safeguarding the country's classified defense information. He added that when there is a breach of that sacred trust, they will act in accordance with laws and policies to hold the people responsible accountable for their actions, according to Fox News.
Jack Teixeira's Security Breaches
Two superiors, Col. Sean Riley and Col. Enrique Dovalo, were among the members disciplined by the Air Force. The former received administrative action and was relieved of command for cause while the latter received administration action for concerns with unit culture and compliance with policies and standards.
The report also noted that indirect factors that enabled Teixeira's unauthorized disclosure of classified documents include the failure of commanders to adequately inspect areas under their command, inconsistent guidance for reporting security incidents, inconsistent definitions of the "Need to Know" concept, and several others.
Following the document leak, the Air Force said that it tightened the number of people who receive electronic and hard-copy classified information. The agency also improved security at its facilities and clarified the procedures for reporting suspicious behavior that involves people handling classified documents.
The Pentagon-wide review was ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and it noted that there was neither a "single point of failure" to explain Teixeira's disclosures. It added that there was no widespread breakdown in the military's procedures for handling and overseeing confidential information, said the New York Times.
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