The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military</a> reportedly caught Jack Teixeira, arrested last month for allegedly leaking hundreds of classified documents, accessing and taking notes on classified data multiple times before he was charged, according to a court filing.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> filed a motion Wednesday to deny Teixeira bail, arguing that the 21-year-old’s repeated disregard of protocol showed him to be a threat to national security who warranted strict detention. The filing showed that military officials warned Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, multiple times about inappropriately sifting around the Pentagon’s classified intelligence database, the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communication System, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/18/us/politics/airman-jack-teixeira-classified-secrets.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
According to a September 15, 2022, Air Force memo included in the DOJ’s filing, Teixeira “had been observed taking notes on classified intelligence information” inside a room for viewing classified material. The airman was warned “to no longer take notes in any form on classified intelligence information,” the memo said, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/17/leak-suspect-jack-teixeira/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>.
Another Air Force memo written about a month later said that Teixeira “was potentially ignoring the cease-and-desist order” and noted that he was told again to avoid “any deep dives into classified intelligence information” and to “focus on his job.”
In January, a third memo notes that Teixeira was seen by another member of his unit “viewing content that was not related to his primary duty and was related to the intelligence field.” The memo went on to say that Teixeira “had been previously notified to focus on his own career duties and to not seek out intelligence products.”
Teixeira underwent training as recently as March to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, according to the NYT. Prosecutors said that Teixeira repeatedly transgressed military officials and protocol despite being &#8220;well aware of his obligations.&#8221;
Throughout the time that Teixeira was repeatedly caught and warned against inappropriately accessing classified material, Teixeira kept his job with the Air National Guard as well as his security clearance, which allowed him to access some of the most sensitive information known to the U.S. government.
Two of Teixeira’s superiors have been placed on leave while an investigation into the leaks continues, an Air Force spokeswoman told the NYT.
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Teixeira has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/14/jack-teixeira-charged-pentagon-leaks-espionage-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with two Espionage Act violations that carry a penalty of 10 years in prison each. Prosecutors say that Teixeira shared hundreds of classified documents and intelligence online to a group of people located all over the world.
The intelligence was first shared to a private Discord server before one of its members began posting classified intelligence more widely. Dozens of documents later circulated online, causing the most serious U.S. intelligence breach in at least a decade.

Jack Teixeira

Military Caught Alleged Pentagon Leaker Taking Notes On Classified Docs Multiple Times Before Arrest, Court Filing Says

Crime

Department of Justice

National Security

Pentagon

U.S.

U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force said Wednesday that it has temporarily suspended two officers who were in command over Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman who is accused of leaking classified military intelligence on the internet.
Teixeira was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attorney-general-garland-gives-update-as-fbi-makes-arrest-in-connection-with-leak-of-u-s-military-documents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> by FBI agents in North Dighton, Massachusetts, two weeks ago and was charged with unlawful retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents. If convicted of both charges, Teixeira faces up to 15 years in prison.
&#8220;The commander of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, has suspended the commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron pending further investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information,&#8221; <a href="https://whdh.com/news/air-force-suspends-leadership-for-unit-of-suspected-pentagon-document-leaker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Ann Stefanek, a spokesperson for the Air Force.
“Additionally, the detachment commander overseeing administrative support for Airmen at the unit mobilized for duty under Title 10 USC has also been suspended,” she continued. “This means that both the squadron’s state Air National Guard operational commander and current federal orders administrative commander have been suspended pending completion of the Department of the Air Force Inspector General Investigation.”
Stefanek added that the Air Force has temporarily removed both officers&#8217; ability to access classified systems and information.
Teixeira is accused of posting hundreds of photographs of classified U.S. military intelligence on a private discord server over a period of months.
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The leak has led to U.S. officials implementing new restrictions on who gets access to highly classified material, although some have warned that the effort may go too far.
“I would like to see a reaction to where we start protecting what’s important with the right kind of systems, the right kind of protection, the right kind of discipline, but my fear is the overreaction will be the opposite, to classify more and think somehow that if we classify it somehow we protect it,” John Hyten, a retired four-star Air Force general who served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-u-s-government-tightens-classified-document-controls-concerns-emerge-about-overreach-389a651">told</a> The Wall Street Journal. “The key is to identify the critical information, identify who has the need to know, and don’t let anybody else in.”

In this photo illustration, the United States Air Force (

Air Force Takes Action Against Officers In Command Of Accused Classified Intelligence Leaker: Report

Department of Defense

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Defense</a> officials extended the organization’s contract with an electric flying taxi company on Tuesday, moving U.S. Air Force aviators one step closer to remotely piloting cargo and people using advanced aircraft technology from the ground.
Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, announced the $55 million extension, raising the contract&#8217;s total value with the USAF up to $131 million.
&#8220;This extension of our contract with the Department of Defense is an important milestone for both Joby and the broader eVTOL industry,&#8221; Paul Sciarra, Joby&#8217;s executive chairman, told <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/25/air-force-evtol-taxi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a>.
The agreement requires the company to deliver and operate up to nine of its five-seat, low-noise aircraft that operate on zero emissions to the military branch and other federal agencies, including NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Joby officials said in a news release that Edwards Air Force Base in California would likely receive the first two aircraft by early 2024.
Among demonstrating a range of potential logistic use cases, including cargo and passenger transportation, Joby officials expect Edwards Air Force Base to become the first U.S. military base to station electric air taxis.
Sciarra said the contract marks the first delivery of eVTOL aircraft to customers, the first training of non-company pilots on an eVTOL, and likely the first revenue-generating operations of eVTOL in the U.S. and potentially the world.
&#8220;These are real aircraft deployed in real situations against real use-cases, so we&#8217;ll get invaluable feedback and operational experience far in advance of commercial operations,&#8221; he said.
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Four Air Force pilots became the first Air Force personnel to remotely fly the advanced aircraft from the ground last week, which included transitions from vertical to wingborne flight.
The announcement comes amid Air Force officials working with several eVTOL manufacturers through the <a href="https://afwerx.com/agility-prime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agility Prime</a> program, which aims to transform how public-private partnerships can deliver &#8220;trailblazing technology at speed,&#8221; JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said in a <a href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-aviation-to-deliver-aircraft-to-edwards-air-force-base/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
&#8220;As well as allowing us to explore the wide range of potential use cases across the U.S. government, our defense partners have also provided us with high-impact support as we prepare for commercial operations in 2025,&#8221; Bevirt said.
The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps have all expressed interest in the capabilities of eVTOL aircraft since the officials established Agility Program in 2020.
Bipartisan members of Congress penned a <a href="https://panetta.house.gov/sites/panetta.house.gov/files/documents/2023.02.23_DOT_AAM%20Leadership%20Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> in February to the Department of Transportation, calling for stronger U.S. leadership in Advanced Air Mobility.
&#8220;We are at a pivotal time in aviation. In just a few short years, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and other forms of emerging aviation technologies will be operating in our National Airspace System (NAS), changing the way in which goods and people move within rural and urban areas,&#8221; the letter reads.
Lawmakers argue the new era of aviation could usher in an estimated $1 trillion and 400,000 new jobs to economies worldwide.
Last month, the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/032023-National-Aeronautics-ST-Priorities.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signaled</a> its support for the aircraft technology, identifying clean aviation as a top priority.
Axios reported that Joby is <a class="gtmContentClick" href="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-completes-second-stage-certification-process/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-vars-link-text="undergoing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-completes-second-stage-certification-process/" data-vars-content-id="4fcf2047-5590-463b-8581-7944646b97f8" data-vars-headline="Electric &quot;air taxis&quot; are headed to the U.S. Air Force" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link">undergoing</a> an FAA process to certify its aircraft for commercial civilian flights.

Electric Air Taxis To Revolutionize Military, Commercial Flights In Near Future: Report

Air Travel

Biden Administration

Military

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-air-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air Force</a> has decreased its body weight standards for men and women as many Americans are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/obesity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too fat</a> to serve and the military struggles to find applicants. 
According to new standards posted by the Air Force, men can now have a body weight of 26% fat (up from 20%) and women can have a body weight of 36% fat (up from 28%). The Air Force said that this move was to widen the recruiting pool as fewer Americans have chosen a military career. 
&#8220;The Air Force is looking to open the aperture on qualifying a broader pool of young Americans for service in the Air Force. These changes bring the Air Force in line with DOD policy,&#8221; Leslie Brown, Air Force Recruiting Service spokeswoman, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/air-force-loosens-body-fat-requirements-us-obesity-surge-recruiting-struggles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News. &#8220;While recruits will be allowed to join with greater body fat percentages, they will still be expected to meet the same fitness standards as everyone else to stay in the service. That means meeting the waist-to-height ratio requirement the Air Force announced in January and implemented this month.&#8221; 
Currently, the Air Force is on pace to miss its active-duty recruiting goal by around 10%, according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. The recruiting crisis comes after the Air Force forced <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2022/04/27/the-vast-majority-of-troops-kicked-out-for-covid-vaccine-refusal-received-general-discharges/">hundreds</a> of airmen out of the service over their refusal to get the COVID vaccine. 
According to a CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/resources/unfit-to-serve/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from last year, about a third of those aged 17-24 are “too heavy” to be in the military. Even if young Americans do meet the weight requirements, they may not be suited to the military for other related reasons. “Among the young adults who meet weight requirements, only 3 in 4 report physical activity levels that prepare them for challenges in basic training,” the CDC said. 
The CDC also noted that the rates of obesity among active duty service members had increased from 16% in 2015 to 19% in 2020. This presents another challenge as obese soldiers are more likely to get a musculoskeletal injury, at least according to one study. 
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&#8220;We are recruiting today&#8217;s generation, not my generation who joined more than 30 years ago, where a tattoo may have been taboo but is now a societal norm,&#8221; Brown added in her statement. &#8220;Or where youth now live a more sedentary lifestyle than before – we can take those new recruits and can promote physical fitness and overall healthier living decisions into their everyday routines as Airmen.&#8221; 
The Air Force is not the only military branch changing its standards. The Army <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/599459-army-approves-reduced-physical-fitness-standards-for-women-older-soldiers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided</a> last year to implement lower physical standards for women and older service members.

US Air Force strategic bomber

Air Force To Decrease Body Weight Standards For Entry As Americans Increasingly Too Fat To Enlist

Obesity

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told U.S. lawmakers this week that China&#8217;s rapid build up of nuclear weapons was the most &#8220;disturbing&#8221; thing that he&#8217;s ever seen in his 50-year career in the defense industry.
Kendall made the remarks while testifying to the House Defense Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday over the rising threats that the U.S. is facing from communist China.
“I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ve seen anything more disturbing in my career than the Chinese ongoing expansion of their nuclear force,”  said Kendall. &#8220;For decades, they were quite comfortable with an arsenal of a few hundred nuclear weapons, which was fairly clearly a second-strike capability to act as a deterrent.&#8221;
&#8220;That expansion that they&#8217;re undertaking puts us into a new world that we&#8217;ve never lived in before, where you have three powers — three great powers, essentially — with large arsenals of nuclear weapons,&#8221; Kendall said in reference to the U.S., Russia, and China having large nuclear arsenals.&#8221;
China has rapidly increased the size and sophistication of their military in recent years, including developing the most advanced hypersonic missiles in the world and building scores of nuclear missile silos deep inside the country.
Kendall said that the primary threat that the Air Force and Space Force are worried about is &#8220;China, China, China.&#8221;
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Kendall said that the U.S. must develop and deploy new cutting-edge weapons systems to &#8220;maintain the air and space superiority that America and our allies have counted on for decade.&#8221;
&#8220;In order to proceed with any of these programs, the Department of the Air Force needs timely authorizations and appropriations,&#8221; he said. “War [with China] is not inevitable. But successfully deterring conflict is heavily dependent on our military capabilities.”
“Russia&#8217;s latest move on the New START treaty is not helping — it&#8217;s going in the wrong direction,” Kendall said. “Nobody wants a nuclear war. We do not want to go back to that [Cold War] world of 30 years ago. I thought we would never be in this position again, and here we are. So, we need to be wise. We really need to start talking to them.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-tackles-china-biggest-threat-to-u-s-wont-tolerate-invasion-of-taiwan-would-ban-tiktok">DeSantis Tackles China: ‘Biggest Threat’ To U.S., Won’t Tolerate Invasion Of Taiwan, ‘Would’ Ban TikTok</a>

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall III

Top Air Force Official Calls Latest Action From China The Scariest He’s Ever Seen

China

Communist China

A New Jersey mom is suing her local police chief and high-ranking officials at a nearby Air Force Base, alleging they targeted her and portrayed her as a security threat after she spoke out about the sexually graphic material on display in an elementary school.
Angela Reading, who was once the state&#8217;s Student Teacher of the Year and is now a law student at Villanova, is represented by the Thomas More Society in her <a href="https://s4f4x7d5.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Filed-Complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit against a total of nine people</a> in connection with an incident that occurred last November. The mother of daughters aged 6 and 7, who was at the time vice president of the county Board of Education, attended “Math Night” at Upper Elementary School where she was stunned to see posters made by children that used sexual terms, including “polysexual,” “pansexual,” and “genderqueer.”
“Why are elementary schools promoting/allowing elementary KIDS to research sexuality and create posters?” Reading wondered on Facebook. “This is not in the state elementary standards (law) nor in the BOE-approved curriculum. It’s perverse and should be illegal to expose my kids to sexual content.”
After one of her daughters asked Reading what “polysexual” meant, Reading contacted a parent of one of the children who created the posters, a school board member, and the schools superintendent, who all dismissed her concerns.
Reading&#8217;s Facebook post caught the attention of U.S. Army Reserve Major Christopher Schilling, who was attached to the nearby Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. According to Reading&#8217;s lawsuit, Schilling emailed parents and local school staff members, and even sought to involve personnel at the base in an attempt to censor and retaliate against Reading.
Schilling sent a message “falsely alleging that Mrs. Reading’s protected speech violated the School Ethics Act and school district policy, even though her Facebook post clearly stated that she was merely expressing her own opinion on social media, which policy expressly permits,” the lawsuit states.
School Superintendent Helen Payne sent a “letter to the community” saying Reading’s actions had “resulted in both general and specific threats against the District and its personnel” despite the fact that no such “specific threats” had been made, according to the lawsuit.
Robert Duff, chief of police for North Hanover Township, allegedly pressured the Facebook group administrator to remove Reading’s post, claiming &#8220;students could die&#8221; if it remained up, the lawsuit claims. Duff allegedly later told Reading he had received emails from the Joint Base calling her an “extremist” but insisted to Reading that the emails were “classified,” which the lawsuit states is false. The chief is also accused of improperly accessing school surveillance footage to try to prove Reading’s children had not seen the posters.
Reading alleges the efforts led to her being verbally abused at a December Board of Education meeting and spiraling problems for her and her family. She resigned from her school board post and from positions in the New Jersey School Boards Association and her husband resigned as president of the North Hanover Township School Board.
“My entire life has been uprooted,” Reading told <a href="https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2023/march/nj-mom-treated-like-a-terrorist-threat-demonized-for-questioning-sexual-posters-in-elementary-school?utm_source=wnd&amp;utm_medium=wnd&amp;utm_campaign=syndicated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBN News</a>. “When all of this was taking place, I&#8217;m in law school and I had to stop going to school, not take my exams, which plummeted my GPA. I had to pull my kids from school during that time period for their safely. And now I don&#8217;t feel safe for them even going back to that school given how so many members of the community and the superintendent participated in this cancellation and betrayal of me as a security threat.”
Reading&#8217;s lawyers deny that her Facebook post violated the law or the platform&#8217;s terms of use, and note that she did not name any individuals at the school and even took care to black out the name of a student artist.
&#8220;Mrs. Reading’s post respectfully expressed her concerns, but it did not call for any person to take any form of action or make a response,&#8221; the lawsuit states.
In addition to Schilling, Duff, and Payne, the lawsuit names other officials at the military base who Reading claims falsely told media outlets that Schilling acted alone
“The Joint Base further falsely claimed to the media that Defendant Schilling was acting alone when in fact, he had acted with the other Joint Base Actors under the respective authority of their Joint Base Superiors,” the lawsuit claims.
Reading said the incident has left her and her family pariahs in their own town.
“There are damages far outreaching that will follow me throughout my entire life,” she said. “I don&#8217;t even feel comfortable and safe going out in my community the way that they portrayed me. I&#8217;ve lost friends that don&#8217;t talk to me who actually believed the things that were being said.”

US-MILITARY-USAF-TANKER

Mom Of 2 Young Girls Sues Chief Of Police, Air Force Officials For Targeting Her After She Slammed Sexual Posters in Elementary School

Education

Elementary Schools

New Jersey

sexual content

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<div id=":4xm" class="Am Al editable LW-avf tS-tW tS-tY" role="textbox" aria-label="Message Body">
The unauthorized disclosure of U.S. military personnel records by the Air Force to an opposition research firm funded by Democrats is now under investigation by the House &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-to-start-committee-on-weaponization-of-the-federal-government-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weaponization Committee</a>.&#8221;
Leading the charge are Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), a <a href="https://stewart.house.gov/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former Air Force pilot</a>. They <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/631712073/Weaponization-Airforce-Leak-Letter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent a letter</a> on Thursday to the military branch&#8217;s top official seeking various documents and communications, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> can reveal.
&#8220;To advance our oversight and to inform potential legislative reforms, we write to request information about this serious breach of our servicemembers’ personal information,&#8221; the congressmen wrote.
The House Judiciary Committee and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government &#8220;are investigating the mass collection and dissemination of information about American citizens by federal agencies,&#8221; they added.
At issue are revelations starting last fall when POLITICO published a profile of Indiana GOP House candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/10/07/shes-black-and-conservative-in-a-democratic-district-is-she-about-to-take-off-politically-00060703" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which revealed</a> she had been sexually assaulted while in the military. The candidate, who ultimately lost her race, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/air-force-takes-full-responsibility-jennifer-ruth-green-sexual-assault-leak-congressmen-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Fox News</a> the information used for the report was illegally obtained.
An Air Force audit found “there was an unauthorized release of military duty information on 11 individuals&#8221; after &#8220;employees did not follow proper procedures requiring the member&#8217;s authorizing signature consenting to the release of information,&#8221; service spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told The Daily Wire. Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dirty-tricks-by-democrat-operatives-air-force-released-gop-candidates-private-info" target="_blank" rel="noopener">members of Congress</a> — Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Zach Nunn (R-IA) — divulged that their records were among those leaked between October 2021 and October 2022.
Some Republican leaders have already <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-demands-answers-pentagon-leaked-records-jennifer-ruth-green-sexual-assault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested information</a> from the Defense Department.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), an Air Force veteran, said she has reason to believe her records were also leaked, and predicted there will be a criminal investigation.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The USAF, after admitting that records of service members were wrongfully obtained, just let me know that they will need until 3/17 to give us the information we requested. Today was the deadline. The USAF leaked information of USAF candidates in the 2022 midterms to a DEMOCRAT… <a href="https://t.co/toXBoPEojZ">https://t.co/toXBoPEojZ</a>
&mdash; Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1630249190080106497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Maj. Gen. Troy Dunn, commander of the Air Force Personnel Center, <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000186-5bcf-de7f-a9ee-7fdf748e0000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent a letter</a> to Bacon stating that Abraham Payton, identified as an analyst with a research firm called Due Diligence LLC, “inappropriately requested copies of your military personnel records for the stated purpose of employment and benefits&#8221; and had possession of Bacon&#8217;s social security number at the time of the request.
<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/21/gop-lawmakers-air-force-records-00083694" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO reported</a> that Payton is a former research director for the Democratic political group American Bridge. The report also said Federal Election Commission records show the Due Diligence Group, <a href="https://www.duediligencegroupllc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which claims to</a> &#8220;specialize in using public records research to provide our clients with the knowledge and insights needed to drive strategic decision making,&#8221; received a little over $110,000 between January 2021 and December 2022 from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
As of now, there is no indication that the DCCC coordinated with the Due Diligence Group to obtain the records. And it wasn&#8217;t immediately clear whether Due Diligence was behind all the requests that led to the 11 unauthorized disclosures, <a href="https://armedservices.house.gov/news/press-releases/rogers-comer-demand-answers-dod-improper-release-personnel-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">though Republican lawmakers</a> have said Green&#8217;s information was released to the same group and the Air Force told POLITICO that “virtually all” of the 11 disclosures were made to an individual &#8220;who represented himself as a background investigator seeking service records for employment purposes.&#8221;
Stefanek, the Air Force spokeswoman, insisted there was &#8220;no evidence of political motivation or malicious intent on the part of any employee&#8221; at the service. The Air Force &#8220;takes full responsibility for releasing the personally identifiable information of these individuals,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Records-release procedures have been improved by elevating the approval level for release of information to third parties and conducting intensified retraining for personnel who handle record requests.&#8221;
Still, &#8220;OSAF may have violated Department of Defense policies and federal law,&#8221; Jordan and Stewart wrote in their letter. &#8220;While the Air Force has rightfully taken responsibility for these inappropriate OMPF [Official Military Personnel Files] disclosures, questions remain unanswered about the U.S. Air Force’s collection, maintenance, and dissemination of this sensitive information.&#8221;
Jordan and Stewart requested from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall a slew of documents and communications, including those related to Due Diligence Group dating back to the beginning of 2021. They also asked for a &#8220;complete list of names of current or former OSAF employees involved in or responsible for the improper release of OMPFs for the period of January 1, 2021, to the present, as well as any administrative or disciplinary action(s) taken against them.&#8221;
The lawmakers set a deadline of 5 p.m. on March 30.
The Air Force informed The Daily Wire it has &#8220;received several requests for information based on the unauthorized release and will respond as quickly as possible.&#8221;
The Daily Wire also reached out to the Due Diligence Group and the DCCC seeking comment on the new letter.
This report has been updated with comment from the Air Force.
</div>
</div>

Reps Jim Jordan and Chris Stewart

Weaponization Committee Launches Probe Into Air Force Leak

Congress

Jim Jordan

U.S. Military

Two Russian fighter jets were reportedly harassing a U.S. military drone over international waters on Tuesday morning when one of the fighter jets collided with the drone, forcing the drone to crash into the Black Sea.
The U.S. European Command said in a statement that one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the $32 million unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.
The statement said that multiple times before the incident occurred that both of the Russian Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless manner that was environmentally unsound and demonstrated a &#8220;lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.&#8221;
&#8220;Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,&#8221; said U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa. &#8220;In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,&#8221; Hecker added.
The statement said that the incident followed a &#8220;pattern of dangerous actions&#8221; by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace that could &#8220;lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. Air Forces in Europe &#8211; Air Forces Africa routinely fly aircraft throughout Europe over sovereign territory and throughout international airspace in coordination with applicable host nation and international laws,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;In order to bolster collective European defense and security, these missions support Allied, partner, and U.S. national objectives.&#8221;
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Air Force Works To Meet Increased Demand For Remotely Piloted Aircraft

Russian Fighter Jet Collides With U.S. Military Reaper Drone Over Black Sea

Conflicts

Russia

World

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-air-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Air Force</a> relieved six leaders from their positions at a nuclear base in North Dakota but offered few details about why they were removed.
A brief press release said Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara, commander of 8th Air Force, removed two commanders from their positions of leadership at Minot Air Force Base on Monday.
<a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-minot-commanders-relieved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Task and Purpose identified</a> the these leaders as Col. Gregory Mayer, who led the 5th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Jonathan Welch, commander of the 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
They were removed &#8220;due to a loss of confidence in their ability to complete their assigned duties,&#8221; <a href="https://www.8af.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3310780/8th-air-force-commander-relieves-two-commanders-at-minot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 8th Air Force said</a>.
The 5th Mission Support Group, which has about 1,600 military and civilian members, focuses on &#8220;delivering essential installation mission support and community service, securing our resources, providing proper care of base facilities and infrastructure, while developing combat-ready airmen,&#8221; <a href="https://www.minot.af.mil/Base-Units/5th-Bomb-Wing-Units/#:~:text=5th%20Mission%20Support%20Group,-The%205th%20Mission&amp;text=Focused%20on%20delivering%20essential%20installation,while%20developing%20combat%2Dready%20airmen.">per the base website</a>. It serves the 5th Bomb Wing, 91st Missile Wing, and other units.
Four subordinate leaders were also relieved of duty by commanders at the base, but the 8th Air Force statement did not provide specifics about the circumstances of their removal. Overall, the 8th Air Force said further details would not be released to protect their privacy.
&#8220;These personnel actions were necessary to maintain the very high standards we demand of those units entrusted with supporting our Nation&#8217;s nuclear mission,&#8221; Gebara said in a statement provided by the 8th Air Force.
&#8220;Eighth Force continues to safeguard global combat power and conduct around-the-clock strategic deterrence operations in a safe, secure and effective manner,&#8221; Gebara added. &#8220;Our mission is foundational to our Nation&#8217;s defense, and we remain committed to the success of that no-fail mission.&#8221;
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Minot Air Force Base, which opened in 1957, is home to a number of wings and squadrons.
&#8220;Minot AFB is the only dual-wing nuclear capable base in the Air Force, hosting two legs of the Strategic Triad,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264277/minot-air-force-base/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">base&#8217;s mission statement</a>. &#8220;The 5th Bomb Wing operates 26 B-52 aircraft, and the 91st Missile Wing operates 150 ICBM sites.&#8221;
The base made headlines in 2007 when six nuclear warheads affixed to cruise missiles were mistakenly loaded onto a flight to Louisiana, leading to investigations and several officers <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/19/loose.nukes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being relieved of duty</a>.

A B-52H Stratofortress

Air Force Mysteriously Removes Six Leaders At Nuclear Base

North Dakota

Nuclear Weapons

Two GOP congressmen have revealed that the U.S. Air Force leaked their military records to Democrat opposition researchers during the 2022 midterm campaign, widening a scandal that first surfaced in October.
The news that the military records of Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) were leaked follows a report from October detailing the unauthorized release of the military records of Indiana GOP House candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green, which prompted an Air Force audit. Green blamed her opponent, Democrat Rep. Frank Mrvan, and allies of his for the release of the information, which included a disclosure she had been sexually assaulted while in the military.
“Virtually all unauthorized disclosures were in response to a third party who represented himself as a background investigator seeking service records for employment purposes through a process commonly used by other federal agencies to conduct employee background checks,” Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek stated, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/21/gop-lawmakers-air-force-records-00083694">POLITICO</a>.
Bacon was informed by the Air Force that Abraham Payton of the research firm Due Diligence LLC — who had formerly served as a research director for the David Brock-founded Democrat Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century — was the person who “inappropriately requested copies of your military personnel records for the stated purpose of employment and benefits.”
“I understand the evidence has been turned over to the Department of Justice and I expect those who break the law to be prosecuted,” Bacon told POLITICO. “This was more than just ‘dirty tricks’ by Democrat operatives, but likely violations of the law.”
“The recent targeting of Members of Congress’s personnel military records [and] the breach of sensitive data … taken by political hacks isn’t only a violation of public trust — it’s criminal,” Nunn added.
Federal Election Commission records show that between January 2021 and December 2022, Due Diligence was paid over $110,000 by the House Democratic campaign arm.
Last week, Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) wrote a <a href="https://armedservices.house.gov/news/press-releases/rogers-comer-demand-answers-dod-improper-release-personnel-files">letter</a> about the matter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
&#8220;The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (OSAF) has informed the Committee that it released 11 individuals’ records over a 14-month period from October 2021-December 2022 to a private research firm which allegedly misrepresented itself in order to obtain access to the personnel records without authorization or consent,&#8221; the letter stated. &#8220;This conduct by the Air Force is, at a minimum, unacceptable. The conduct by the research firm is quite possibly criminal.&#8221;
Green spokesperson Kevin Hansberger said the leaks show how far Democrats are willing to go in an effort to get potentially damaging information on rival candidates.
“There must be full transparency of the investigation and its findings,&#8221; Hansberger said. &#8220;Those responsible for these illegal acts should face criminal charges and be held accountable for their actions.&#8221;

House Republicans Hold Their Caucus Meeting On Capitol Hill

‘Dirty Tricks By Democrat Operatives’: Air Force Released GOP Candidates’ Private Info

Air Force Released GOP Candidates' Private Info

Democrats

House Republicans

Records

The U.S. fighter jet that shot down an unidentified object over Lake Huron on Sunday reportedly missed taking down the object with its first shot, and there is no sign of where the missile went.
The Air Force F-16 jet that took down the object fired two $472,000 Sidewinder AIM-9X missiles at the target before it was shot down.
&#8220;The first Sidewinder heat-seeking missile missed the target,&#8221; a defense official <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-military-first-shot-unknown-octagonal-object-lake-huron-missed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
The object was shot down while flying at an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet inside U.S. airspace near Michigan.
U.S. officials said that they believe that this is the object that was detected late Saturday night over Montana that U.S. fighter jets could not locate at the time.
&#8220;Based on its flight path and data we can reasonably connect this object to the radar signal picked up over Montana, which flew in proximity to sensitive DOD sites,&#8221; the Pentagon said in a statement. &#8220;We did not assess it to be a kinetic military threat to anything on the ground, but assess it was a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities.&#8221;
Debris from the object has not yet been located.
The object that was shot down over Lake Huron came a day after the Air Force shot down an object over Canada and two days after the Air Force shot down an object over Alaska. On February 4, the Air Force shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had crossed the country from Montana to South Carolina.
U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck, the commander who oversees North American airspace, said that U.S. officials seemed confident that the objects were not balloons.
“I’m not going to categorize them as balloons. We’re calling them objects for a reason,” VanHerck said. “I’m not able to categorize how they stay aloft. It could be a gaseous type of balloon inside a structure or it could be some type of a propulsion system. But clearly, they’re — they’re able to stay aloft.”
VenHerck said that U.S. officials considered trying to use the fighter jet’s machine guns to shoot down the objects so that the objects would be better preserved after they were shot down.
“We assessed taking a gunshot yesterday in that event, as well as today, and the pilots in each situation felt that that was really unachievable because of the size, especially yesterday in the altitude, and also because of the challenge to acquire it visually because it’s so small,” VanHerck said.
“We have taken extreme caution to ensure that we limit potential collateral damage, so today, we worked closely with the FAA to clear out the airspace,” he added. “I gave direction specifically to the pilots to use their visual acuity to check for mariners on the ground, airplanes in the air to clear with their radars as well. And when they were comfortable, that we can minimize collateral damage, they selected the best weapon today that was the AIM 9x [missile]. And they took the shot.”

F-15

New Details Emerge About Unidentified Object That U.S. Military Shot Down Over Lake Huron

Air and Space

Joe Biden

Michigan

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-air-force">U.S. Air Force</a> General Glen VanHerck, the commander who oversees North American airspace, did not rule out aliens when asked about the unidentified objects shot down over North American airspace in recent days.
The comments come after the U.S. military shot down an unidentified object over Lake Huron on Sunday, one over Canada on Saturday, and one Friday over Alaska.
When asked if the U.S. military had ruled out an extraterrestrial origin for the unidentified objects, VanHerck responded: &#8220;I&#8217;ll let the intel community and the counterintelligence community figure that out. I haven&#8217;t ruled out anything.&#8221;
&#8220;At this point we continue to assess every threat or potential threat, unknown, that approaches North America with an attempt to identify it,&#8221; VanHerck continued.
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down shot down the unidentified ‘octagonal’ object over Lake Huron using a Sidewinder missile.
An anonymous U.S. defense official later told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ruling-out-aliens-senior-us-general-says-not-ruling-out-anything-yet-2023-02-13/">Reuters</a>, &#8220;No indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent take downs.”
VanHerck said that U.S. officials seemed confident that the objects were not balloons.
“I&#8217;m not going to categorize them as balloons. We&#8217;re calling them objects for a reason,” VanHerck <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/object-shot-down-lake-huron-21223/index.html">said</a>. “I&#8217;m not able to categorize how they stay aloft. It could be a gaseous type of balloon inside a structure or it could be some type of a propulsion system. But clearly, they&#8217;re &#8212; they&#8217;re able to stay aloft.&#8221;
VenHerck said that U.S. officials considered trying to use the fighter jet&#8217;s machine guns to shoot down the objects so that the objects would be better preserved after they were shot down.
“We assessed taking a gunshot yesterday in that event, as well as today, and the pilots in each situation felt that that was really unachievable because of the size, especially yesterday in the altitude and also because of the challenge to acquire it visually because it&#8217;s so small,” VanHerck said.
“We have taken extreme caution to ensure that we limit potential collateral damage, so today, we worked closely with the FAA to clear out the airspace,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I gave direction specifically to the pilots to use their visual acuity to check for mariners on the ground, airplanes in the air to clear with their radars as well. And when they were comfortable, that we can minimize collateral damage, they selected the best weapon today that was the AIM 9x (missile). And they took the shot.”

F-16

Top U.S. Air Force General Makes Shocking Remarks About Unidentified Objects Shot Down By U.S. Military

Canada

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