Alleged national security document leaker had long wanted to be in the military
Mike Brest
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The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman arrested on charges of allegedly leaking hundreds of classified documents had a fascination with the military and weapons.
Jack Teixeira came from a family with military ties, and he knew he wanted to follow in their footsteps, according to former classmates.
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“A lot of people were wary of him. He was more of a loner, and having a fascination with war and guns made him off-putting to a lot of people,” said Brooke Cleathero, who attended middle school and high school with him, told CNN.
John Powell, another person who went to middle and high school with Teixeira, said he “didn’t have many friends” and “was dead set on joining some branch of the military, even as a kid.”
One anonymous former classmate said they viewed Teixeira’s interest in the military as a form of patriotism and were surprised by his alleged behavior now.
His longtime interest in serving his country, and his ties to the military, make the leak appear at odds with one another.
Teixeira’s stepfather, Thomas Dufault, served for more than three decades as a master sergeant from the same unit, the 102nd Intelligence Wing. He retired in a 2019 ceremony at Joint Base Cape Cod, according to the Washington Post. His mother, Dawn Dufault, worked for nonprofit organizations supporting veterans, including briefly for the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services, according to her LinkedIn profile and public records.
Teixeira is expected to appear in court on Friday morning in Massachusetts after getting arrested one day earlier on allegations that he leaked hundreds of classified documents online. He was taken into custody without issue. The documents he supposedly released included sensitive information on a wide range of subjects, including the war in Ukraine and United States intelligence gathered on allies. The Pentagon is still responding to the leaks.
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He allegedly posted photos of classified documents in a Discord chat consisting of roughly 20 to 30 people. Discord is a social media and messaging platform popular among young people and video game players. The chat, named Thug Shaker Central, came together over a love of guns, racist online memes, and video games, according to the New York Times.
Teixeira worked as a cyber transport systems journeyman that ensures the Air Force’s “vast, global communications network” is operating correctly and joined the force in 2019. He’s an airman 1st class, which is the third enlisted rank an airman will make, and he has one achievement medal during his time in the service, according to an Air Force spokeswoman.