The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified government information online acted alone, an Air Force investigation found, but 15 people, including a colonel, have been disciplined over how they handled the case.
The commander of the unit, the 102nd Intelligence Wing based at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, was relieved of command for cause, and the unit's surveillance and reconnaissance group remains off its mission, with other Air Force organizations covering the work.
Other commanders who were previously suspended in the investigation into the information shared by Airman First Class Jack Teixeira were permanently removed from their command, according to the Air Force, which instituted department-wide process reforms to protect information that's considered classified or "need to know."
"The need to balance information security protections with the requirement to get the right information to the right people at the right time is a national security imperative and remains a critical focus as Airmen and Guardians work to implement corrective actions and replicate best practices," a news release from Monday, when the report was submitted to Congress, concludes.
Teixeira is accused of misusing his top-secret clearance while working as an Air National Guardsman, by accessing classified information not related to his job — including sensitive military details about the war in Ukraine. He was arrested at his North Dighton home in April.
Teixeira's supervisors weren't aware of the information he allegedly disclosed, though people in his unit didn't take necessary actions after finding out he was looking for intelligence, according to the report.
Among the factors that let Teixeira acquire and disclose the documents, the report said, were the fact that commanders in the unit hadn't inspected areas of their command, didn't properly oversee the night shift and hadn't properly explained the concept of "need to know" or delineated it from the concept of classified. Nor did leadership of the 102nd Intelligence Wing vigilantly inspect unit staff's conduct.
"Every Airman and Guardian is entrusted with the solemn duty to safeguard our nation's classified defense information. When there is a breach of that sacred trust, for any reason, we will act in accordance with our laws and policies to hold responsible individuals accountable," Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in a statement.
The investigation is separate from the criminal case against Teixeira, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in June on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense. He's pleaded not guilty.
Lawyers for Teixeira have argued that the information he allegedly leaked was "shared primarily among teenagers" on a forum dedicated to war and combat-based videogames. But the federal judge overseeing the case agreed with prosecutors "that Teixeira poses a risk of obstructing justice" if he were to be released.
