Washington is going to have a hard time explaining how the biggest U.S. intelligence leak in a decade may have been committed by a 21-year-old airman whose role ¡ª ¡°cyber transport systems journeyman¡± ¡ª required a high-school degree, a driver¡¯s license and up to 18 months of on-the-job-training.
The FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, of Dighton, Massachusetts, on Thursday, with the promise of a swift arraignment on Friday. Attorney General Merrick Garland said he was being held in connection with the ¡°unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information.¡±
As Pentagon jobs go, Teixeira¡¯s was pretty junior. An Air Force job description says workers like him ¡°keep our communications systems up and running and play an integral role in our continuing success.¡± He joined the Air National Guard in 2019, according to his service record.
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