Leak suspect expresses disillusionment with military enlistment - here's why
3 min read . Updated: 15 Apr 2023, 06:52 AM IST
PremiumWithout any evidence, some prominent people on the right have begun hailing Teixeira as someone who aimed to expose the Biden administration and prevent further US involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Jack Teixeira, Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who is accused of leaking highly classified documents had set his sights on joining the military from an early age, however, he had recently expressed disillusionment about having enlisted.
He was charged in the US District Court in Boston with unauthorized removal and retention of classified and national defense information, a breach that has caused an international uproar and exposed explicit US assessments on the war in Ukraine and other closely held secrets.
A magistrate judge ordered Teixeira (21) held until a detention hearing next week, according to a report published by The Associated Press.
Speaking to The Boston Globe, two of his classmates informed that Teixeira revered the military and showed an early interest in joining. He was especially focused on the history of war and weapons.
“From a young age, I remember he would have a book on, I believe, US military aircraft, armaments, like a real big textbook," John Powell said, adding that the young man was an optimist and ‘sweetheart’ with an especially close relationship with his stepdad, an Air Force veteran.
According to another high school classmate Kailani Reis, Teixeira was ‘super quiet’ and gave off ‘loner vibes’, while another classmate, Sarah Arnold, told AP she remembered him as being quiet and keeping to himself.
The military records stated that Teixeira enlisted in the Air National Guard in September 2019. He graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School the following year, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the school to close and go virtual.
During the pandemic, Teixeira developed a close relationship with other members of a chat room on the social media platform Discord, where members of the group have said the leaks showed up. The chat app is used by video gamers and others to connect online.
A member of the Discord chat group spoke to AP about the conversations but declined to give his name, citing concerns for his personal safety.
The group, called ‘Thug Shaker Central’, drew people who talked about their favorite types of guns and shared memes and jokes, some of them racist and anti-Semitic, the person told the AP.
The group also included a running discussion about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For months, a member nicknamed ‘the O.G.’ posted reams of classified material, said the Discord member who confirmed that O.G. was Teixeira.
“Teixeira liked to chat about guns, was an observant Christian, and would often pray with group members, the fellow member said. In recent months, Teixeira had become disillusioned about the U.S. military and had begun to express regret (about) joining. He even said he’d kick my ass if I thought about joining," the person told AP.
“He was good at his craft. He was good with, you know, Photoshop. Teixeira ‘was never a very, super serious guy, usually was all like laughs and giggles’," the group member added.
Recently, Teixeira was also promoted to Airman 1st Class and assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, where his job was listed as a cyber transport systems journeyman.
Despite his relatively low rank, the technology position would have given Teixeira responsibility for maintaining computer networks with access to classified information. Teixeira began active duty in October 2021, serving full-time at the base, which is located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
Without any evidence, some prominent people on the right have begun hailing Teixeira as someone who aimed to expose the Biden administration and prevent further US involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war.
The Discord member told AP he did not believe Teixeira leaked documents to undermine the U.S. government or for an ideological reason.