This could generate some interesting thoughts
 

A penny for your thoughts on the latest "leak" of classified intelligence information that effects our allies as well as us ! What do you think of the explanation that's it's actually a low ranking air force reserve member, more focused on on line gaming with teens than with his heavy responsibility by having access to our most sensitive intel ? A paid spy ? An immature air force member with "over his head" responsibilities ? A low lying fruit scapegoat for something even more complicated and covert than we can imagine ?

Too much information is classified, and too many people have access to it. It has been that way for more than 50 years, and I don't know of any serious efforts to change the system. I had a SECRET clearance for 35 years, but I never really needed it. They just gave it to me automatically. Don't expect any changes to occur.

Only speculation from news reports from various sources and interviews with fellow DISCORD identified as user 1 who allerted FBI of his identity.

Hmm, let’s see:

White Christian male?

Into guns?

Lives with mom?

Hints of narcissism?

Idealized violence?

Nope, nothing to see here.

A low lying fruit scapegoat for something even more complicated and covert than we can imagine ?

Having been a unit that dealt with classified info for many years I find the current explanation almost incomprehensible. One of the fundamentals of handling classified info is "need to know". I was in an aviation test unit. If I were to try to access information on a submarine - for instance - I would be denied access because I had no need to know.

How this very low level airman could have access to the items that were leaked without some cooperation at a much higher level escapes me.

Interesting coincidence
 

And now, this:
Authorities recently arrested a Tennessee Air National Guard service member after he reportedly sought work as a hitman on a fake website known to lure would-be criminals.

FBI agents earlier this month arrested Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 21, who allegedly attempted to become a hired killer with the parody website rentahitman.com, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Tennessee district court.

It is not so much the details of the leak but the actual true information revealed. It reveals the Defense Secretary, General Miley and the Pentagon Spokesman are blatant liars. We cannot trust anything that comes out of their mouths.

Interesting that he is not being Court Marshalled, but going fhrough the civilian court system.

What is true in the leak?
Even the Russians regard it with skepticism.
What would you expect them to disclose?
Latest intelligence, battle plans, nuclear submarine locations etc. etc.

Probably both.

Assuming he truly did leak classified info, he did so on an unsecured resource. Anyone can access even private Discord servers with an invite, and since most gamers don't use their real names, it takes little effort to get that invite. Once it's posted, people showing up after the fact can access the scroll-back.

Innocent til proven guilty and all that. But the crime, whether he did it or not, is deserving of punishment. It doesn't matter what classified docs were leaked. It doesn't matter that they weren't really a big deal and probably shouldn't have been classified. There is such a thing as the "rule of law." There is also such a thing as "National Security."

If you start saying "well he was only a kid" or "it's just a gamer chat room" or "it's only random info that shouldn't be classified" then you disrespect everything the military stands for. Their JOB is to protect our country. That includes its secrets, whether they're "big" secrets or "no one cares" secrets. If they refuse to do even that one thing, then they need to be punished.

IF he did it, he should get jail time. And a dishonorable discharge. And banned from using the internet until such time as the judge can determine he's learned his lesson in the topic of "privileged information."

Whether he faces a federal court or a military court marshal depends on where and when he obtain the information. I believe he is a low level government employee but no mention of his specialty in the Air National Guard. If it was through his government job that he obtained and released the classified documents then the Air Guard would not have jurisdiction. If he obtained the information while doing his monthly or summer training sessions then the Air Guard would have authority.
If he is convicted by a federal court, then he will be discharged from military through administrative actions or a court martial.

I would like to know how he accessed this kind of information. When I was in the Army I worked as a classified document clerk during my first enlistment. Initially I held a Secret security clearance but later I had to undergo a background investigation for a Top Secret clearance. The reason was that the Army command I worked in used Top Secret crypto material and I had to control accountability, dissemination and destruction of it when required. However, I didn't have and wasn't authorized access to all Top Secret material because I didn't have a Need To Know. I was only 19 years old when I got the Top Secret clearance.
I would like to know how he was able to have access to the information that was released.
When classified information is released illegally it can result in the disclosure of where and from whom the information was obtained. If a certain piece of information is only known to limited number of people then the search for the informant is narrowed drastically. There have been instances where everyone who was knowledgeable of the classified information leaked was executed to ensure they got the guilty person.

From what I can research seems you are spot on. Apparently (and giving consideration to the differences in size and population) no other country comes close to ours in issuing secret, top secret, etc. privileges. An FBI agent on the news said same as you experienced, had highest classification which was top secret plus (some additional letters I don't remember) and said retired without even once needing the designation !

Interesting, missed all of those, maybe more forth coming on nightly news today. Only info I could find seemed to be he lives with both parents, not just his mother, but more important, I wonder if the Air Force is aware of all this, that he is taken with violence, narcissistic, he's obviously white, could see that at arraignment today, but most of all wonder if Air Force administrative levels knew of his fascination with teen on line groups like DISCORD ? What a mess is in my thoughts !

Well, having been in research for a portion of my career, I am always examining such explanations, that was one of my "theories", and you added some "meat" to that bone ! It just seemed TOO SIMPLISTIC to me, just some "kids", and an "immature" adult who was just careless... hummmmm:shocked: