Air Force Orders 102nd Intelligence Wing to Stand Down for Security Investigation Following Arrest of Airman for Allegedly Posting Secret Pentagon Documents to Social Media

The Air Force has ordered the 102nd Intelligence Wing to stand down from its intelligence mission as the service’s inspector general conducts an investigation. This comes after 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, an airman in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested on April 13th for allegedly posting dozens of secret Pentagon documents to social media.

In response to the incident, the Air Force has directed each unit to conduct a security-focused stand down in the next 30 days to “reassess our security posture and procedures, validate the need to know for each person’s access, and emphasize to all Airmen and Guardians the responsibility we are entrusted with to safeguard this information and to enforce and improve our security requirements.” This was stated in a memo from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and other military leaders.

A federal judge on Wednesday delayed a pretrial detention hearing for Teixeira, granting a request by his public defenders to delay the scheduled hearing for two weeks to give them time to review the government’s request for detention. Teixeira has been charged with unlawful retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents.

The 102nd Intelligence Wing is not currently performing its intelligence mission as the investigation is ongoing. The Air Force has not released any further details on the investigation or the stand down. It is unclear when the investigation will be completed or when the 102nd Intelligence Wing will resume its mission.