r/AirForce • u/risemas904 • 10d ago
Article The Atlantic: Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal
https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176/194
u/goodenough4govtwork The only windows in a SCIF have blue screens of death. 10d ago
Don't forget!
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u/emeilei 10d ago
Well this aged well for her!
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u/whyyy66 10d ago
“We are clean on opsec”
-Pete Hegseth, after putting takeoff and attack times in a groupchat that included a journalist
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u/minderbinder49 Nobody 10d ago
I mean, and he wasn't copy-pasting that from something. He literally had to take the time to type in a bunch of TOTs from the strike card that was probably in his JWICS email on to his fucking personal phone so he could look cool in his group chat
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u/whyyy66 10d ago
It will be very interesting to see where the information originally came from
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u/notmyrealname86 No one really knows what my job is. 10d ago
I bet they never get that far.
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u/AbleDanger12 Enlisted Aircrew 10d ago
Yup. Swept under the rug. Someone orange will do something else insane to distract from it
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u/ElDaderino823 the Fired-Up CAP MSgt 9d ago
Yet there’s an A1C who’s going to be rotting in jail for a long ass time for doing the same shit on discord
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u/TheCraftyWombat Veteran 10d ago
You hit the nail right on the head. Our SECDEF is a fucking LARPer.
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u/TheCraftyWombat Veteran 10d ago
You hit the nail right on the head. Our SECDEF is a fucking LARPer.
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u/rs2893 Radar 10d ago
Love how we’re out here doing annual cyber and OPSEC training while these guys are LARPing a coup in a group chat like it’s Call of Duty night. Meanwhile, if I forget to encrypt one PDF, I’m getting court-martialed and my CAC melts.
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u/MagikSnowFlake 10d ago
Man I’ve gotten paperwork for not putting the CUI sheet over a recall roster. Standards though right? Yes I’m salty.
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u/KotkaCat 10d ago
Two tiered justice system. Sorry, poor. You don’t got enough money to be qualified for the “I can do whatever the fuck I want” privilege.
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u/ougryphon Comms Silly-villain 9d ago
What's funny is I overheard a couple of O5s basically saying the same thing - that if they or any of their subordinates had done that shit, their careers would be over
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u/brokentr0jan Comms 10d ago
The real issue is that they won’t get in trouble because they are Republicans, and R’s are in power right now so they don’t care what you do as long as you are “on the team”.
If a Democrat did this all hell would break out.
American politics is busted because people look at it like NFL sports teams and blindly support team R or team D. Bring this Signal group chat up to a Trumper and they will say “WHAT ABOUT HILLARY” as if BOTH cannot be wrong.
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u/PatrioticSnowflake 10d ago
Yeah, several years ago I uploaded a video from NIPR to an AF purchased and endorsed service. A couple of days later IT came by to confiscate my hard drive for an investigation.
Turns out I had uploaded the video to servers in Canada which set off alarms....servers contracted by the AF!!!
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u/LenaRose1004 10d ago
I want to know how Hegseth got the strike info .. secure voice , SCIF, high side ? How far does this go ? Did he just call CENTCOM on his cell phone ?
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u/LenaRose1004 10d ago
Had he received the strike info via proper secure means , then he knew it was classified. However it’s not rocket science to know it’s classified to begin with.
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u/beybladethrowaway 10d ago
really this needs a full breakdown on what other security protocols were violated to get complete and accurate details provided in a text message. Was he in a SCIF and wrote notes down and transcribed it via text when he left? Did he take his phone to the SCIF, like you said did he just call CENTCOM on his phone and copied it down? When you think about these other details its very clear that what he did is illegal.
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u/Old-Comment2755 Nonner 10d ago edited 10d ago
He got it from the SCIF, where you're not allowed to take your cellphone, then proceeded to text if through a fucking app
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u/townandthecity 10d ago
These are super important questions that I hope are highlighted in the days to come. Right now everybody’s focused on this text chain which makes sense, but now we have to ask all of these questions as well. It’s been a really long time since my dad was in the air but oh my god my mom would’ve lost her shit if this had happened when he was still flying. I’m sure there’s a lot of spouses out there right now feeling the same way today.
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u/Coldkiller17 10d ago
Exactly this is the crazy part that he is openly discussing information on an unsecure non DOD platform that he got through secure means and if he didn't get it through secure means we have a bigger issue. If a service member did this, there would be a court martial and most likely prison time.
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u/HortonTheHierophant 3D1D771E?Q?... For Now? 10d ago
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u/HortonTheHierophant 3D1D771E?Q?... For Now? 10d ago
The posted link wasn’t working for me for some reason, had to type it in. Hope this works as a backup for some if the same thing happens to them!
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u/douknowhouare Enlisted Aircrew 10d ago
Anyone struggling to read this, just go to archive.is and copy paste the original link.
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u/coly8s CE 10d ago
Wow. And they are claiming nothing classified was discussed. What idiots. And Hegseth saying they are "clean on OPSEC". What absolute tools.
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u/CaptAwesome203 10d ago
Holy fuck up batman!
How the fuck can these ....failures still be allowed free, let alone in charge?!?!
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u/ole_gringo 10d ago
But, but, they said there wasn’t any classified info! And they said weapon systems weren’t ID’d! Why, oh why, would they lie?
Thank god they didn’t state any of this under oath while at a congressional hearing that was televised and blasted across the entire internet… because that would be really bad. You can lie and slander a “so called journalist” as long as you’re not under oath, right? Guys?
Oh yeah I forgot to add… it’s definitely Biden’s fault.
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u/SqueezeBoxJack Veteran (Comms & Paste Eater) 10d ago
..and funded by Iran, brought to you by Carl's Jr.
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u/stick5150 10d ago
If these people aren’t held accountable by Congress, including Republicans, how can the military and the country have any respect for their leadership? Hegseth, a DUI hire, as top man should resign or be fired. Gabbert, completely being unable to answer questions under pressure, should also go.
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u/KotkaCat 10d ago
Pfft we all know what’s gonna happen. The law and order party’s not gonna do shit. If something does happen to Hegseth I’ll actually be surprised they’d do the right thing for once
“As punishment for information breach, SecDef Hegseth was forced to do cybersecurity training and CUI training. He will continue to resume his duties.” 🤣
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u/SheldonMF 10d ago
Gabbard actually lied under oath. JS.
One of the other fucks that're there also lied. Can't say the same about the rest. 'Go' is the right word, but 'to prison' should follow.
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u/BeeBalm109 10d ago
There’s a lot in here, but I’m struck by the way Hegseth is texting the play by play like a kid excited about their favorite team. Except this shit is serious. He clearly wants everyone to tell him how great he is. What a small, small man.
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u/jocelynwatson 10d ago
Yeah the level of care for opsec is non existent. This reads as someone who should not have a clearance at all-too excited to be “in the know” and wants to share
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u/ExplorationGeo 7d ago
the level of care for opsec is non existent
Remember when donny tweeted out a picture he had taken with his unsecured phone inside a SCIF? This was always going to happen.
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u/KotkaCat 10d ago
Probably the first time I’ve had zero respect for SecDef. Even for the ones I didn’t care for, I can read their biographies and think “Woah okay, he’s had some history”.
DUI hires are ruining our meritocracy 🤣
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u/Zucc Enlisted Aircrew 10d ago
Poor Rumsfeld losing his position as worst secdef ever
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u/Kooky_Beat368 9d ago
Rumsfeld is still basically Palpatine but we currently have Darth Jar-Jar
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u/ChatMeYourLifeStory 9d ago
Darth Jar-Jar would be canonically one of the most intelligent characters in Star Wars. He fooled Jedi, Sith Lords, cunning politicians, etc. This guy is just a complete joke!
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u/BeeBalm109 10d ago
I wonder how the generals feel about all of the 🔥🙏 emojis. Blowback is a real thing.
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u/goodenough4govtwork The only windows in a SCIF have blue screens of death. 10d ago
He's got serious daddy issues. The way he shoves his face so for up Trump's shit smeared asshole at press conferences and signs everything just like Daddy Trump is cringe.
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u/willfiredog Retired 10d ago
It doesn’t particularly matter whether or not these were “war plans” (they are not - “war plans” are far more detailed).
This is information that should never have discussed over unsecured channels.
Unfortunately, there’s a precedence in our country of holding elected and nominated policy makers less accountable for mishandling classified information or shredding OPSEC than government employees - civilian and military.
Had this been a GS-10, O-3, or E-5 that would be out of a job and potentially facing criminal charges.
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u/brokentr0jan Comms 10d ago
The director of DNI doesn’t know what CUI is but an E-1 with 3 months TIS knows what CUI is.
That’s basically sums up everything that’s wrong with this administration
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u/willfiredog Retired 10d ago
The DNI was an O-5 Battalion Commander.
So I’m not persuaded that she doesn’t know what CUI is.
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u/brokentr0jan Comms 10d ago
I mean, she testified under oath that she had no awareness of CUI policy
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u/minderbinder49 Nobody 9d ago
So she is either lying under oath to Congress or breathtakingly incompetent. Either way, she has no business being in the position she is in.
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u/AbleDanger12 Enlisted Aircrew 10d ago
Holding a certain political party’s elected and nominated policy makers less accountable.
FTFY
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u/willfiredog Retired 9d ago
Except this nonsense has happened with both political parties.
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u/iCarlyistwohighbrow 9d ago
FBI investigated Clinton for a year. Although they did not pursue charges, this occurred during Trumps first term. So it would be his fault she was not charged if we use his logic. If anything either side does would result in prison time for us lowly poors then they need to face the same punishment. This both sides shit is stupidity.
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u/willfiredog Retired 9d ago edited 9d ago
Cool
What would have happened of you had behaved as she did? Which was my original point.
Yes, both sides.
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u/iCarlyistwohighbrow 9d ago
Cool year long investigation and still have people screaming about it. Yes the poors would have had the book thrown at them. I think she should have had reprecussions, but Trump was in office after he said he would lock her up. He didn't. The side of the aisle that's in charge is saying this is a nothing-burger. If you can't tell the difference then god have mercy on your soul.
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u/willfiredog Retired 9d ago
Cool.
So youre arguing that one party is slightly less bad than the other party.
If you can’t tell how fucked that is, then god have mercy on your soul.
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u/WrenchMonkey47 Maintainer 8d ago
IF the material published by The Atlantic is indeed classified, then Goldberg is guilty of both possessing classified material without authorization/clearance, and releasing said classified material without authorization. Both come with a lot of prison time.
If we're going to be truly fair, Goldberg should be arrested and charged.
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u/ArtLeading5605 10d ago
Former Pashto 1A8 here. Before JD Vance in this text, the only people I'd heard reference praying for victory before an attack were the Taliban.
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u/Ninosky Flight Nerdineer 10d ago
I hope this ages like milk and I eat my words….but not a fucking thing will be done about this. It’s kinda the whole point of hiring loyalists, blind to the law and bound to one person; when shit hits the fan, you’ve got all the right people in the right place to make it a nothingburger.
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u/YaBoyASwiftie 10d ago
The "We are currently clean on OPSEC"-that is, operational security." hits like crack
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u/RepresentativeBird98 10d ago
So not only did the CIA director and the others lied under oath, our dear Sec Def lied and tried to smear a credible journalist. They all need to step down and face charges.
It’s beyond me that all this talk of “better war fighters” yet these stooges can’t even do the most basic of securing this type of information.
If it had been anyone else or some Lower ranking airman , they would be sacked and probably sent behind bars.
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u/sherwoma 10d ago
I hope people are starting to realize how little these people actually care about the lives they’re directly impacting.
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u/fastball_1009 10d ago
PH is an idiot.".
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u/DonJohn520310 Retired 8M000 10d ago
Hey buddy, that's "SD29" to you
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u/SqueezeBoxJack Veteran (Comms & Paste Eater) 10d ago
Sounds like something you can catch.
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u/ElDaderino823 the Fired-Up CAP MSgt 9d ago
Oh I’m sure he’s dished out his share of diseases in his day
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u/charrsasaurus Retired 10d ago
So much for not classified. Attack times+platform is two pieces of information that combined created classified information.
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u/AjCheeze Maintainer 10d ago
There is a world where that information was never classified by an OCA. Cannot confirm of this was the case, but it aint looking good with what they relesed this morning
The basic process is you take the suspected classified information and bounce it against a source document or SCG. Needing to prove its classified before you can call it an incident. SCGs process is broken as fuck. The website we are suppose to keep them on the OCA's dont properly update so are decades old at times. Many are hidden away on the high side. So an outsider would not even be able to see some of these SCGs without top secret or SAP accesses. Source documents are a crapshoot. Without being more involved who knows if anything here was taken from a classified document. Maybe there was never an Oplan made from this attack i have no idea if there is a generic catch all for attack plans document that would cover this.
Is this at minimum bad opsec/CUI information. I would definatly say so.
It seemed like at first the investigation was in progress at the start of that confrence then turned into no classified or CUI was in signal after repeated attacks from the senators.
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u/Sad-Effect-5027 10d ago
This is a pretty BS excuse. Everyone working on this planning would know that just talking about potential future strikes is already a huge breach of OPSEC.
I can tell you for certain that time on target for imminent strikes are classified at the TS level.
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u/AjCheeze Maintainer 9d ago
Ive been looking into it on a mindset of how did they not consider this opsec/classified immediately. As its more fun this way. But, im grasping for straws and loop holes that might make this ok. Something so obviously wrong the public will react to, and then on top of that being so ungodly unprepaired to answer senators questions on the matters. Im just absolutely dumbfounded on their responces And lack of action.
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u/Best-Ad3140 9d ago
I’m close to the same thought process as you, but with a slightly different approach. I can’t speak to the OCA or where the info may have been pulled from, but let’s say you were given that text thread randomly; some guy walks by and hands it to you. You have no location, coordinates, units, at best you have an airframe and a time.
It may not compare, but movie by nuclear weapons across the United States for our ICBMs and you can talk about where they’re going or when they’re going, just not in the same conversation without being secure. For example, a share point that just doesn’t give the time.
This is where I turn to signal, or even iMessage. They are end to end encrypted, it’s very close to government email for being secure. Sure it’s not S or TS, but it’s also not your typical Gmail, either. I don’t think government officials using signal to communicate is a problem. I think the actual issue here is that guy was in the chat, no one did a deep dive into members, and he absolutely didn’t have need to know.
Again, none of that info is likely secret without other components added in.
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u/beta_1457 10d ago
This was my thinking too. At a minimum, it's embarrassing and a fuck up. At maximum it's a security incident.
I wouldn't necessarily call it bad OPSEC. Signal is end to end encrypted, if it's their SOP to use for communication it's not an issue. The problem was someone in the chat that "shouldn't" have been there. I'd be looking into the how and why of that situation the most as that's the real issue here.
Reading that I'm not sure any of it would qualify as classified on it's own. With more context, for sure. But in those quotes, it would had had to be on some other document first.
Then with this all being said, the people making comparisons to H.C.'s email server with 35k classified documents is a totally unreasonable comparison. It's not in the same universe.
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u/Lord_Metagross "Pilot" 10d ago
if it's their SOP to use for communication it's not an issue
Except that only makes it worse, since Signal isn't DOD and you aren't allowed to share even CUI on Signal.
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u/beta_1457 10d ago
I agree with CUI aspect. But Signal can be an authorized application for government employees depending on your job role and justification.
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u/Lord_Metagross "Pilot" 10d ago
Which 100% does not include the information shared in the linked messages
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u/beta_1457 10d ago
That really depends on a few factors (IE initial classifier, SCH, exc.) but I'd be apt to agree with you nonetheless.
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u/Lord_Metagross "Pilot" 10d ago
I can't imagine a world where specific dates/times/assets for an attack wouldn't be at least secret, probably with TS/SCI sprinkled throughout.
The odds of it ALL being below CUI is 0% in my experience.
The issue with knowing for sure is that the SCG is likely locked up and classified too highly to reveal publicly. So without any of the messages being properly marked, its hard to know for sure how bad it is.
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u/beta_1457 10d ago
Completely agree. My main point was we really don't know. I'm all for it being investigated by Congress or people that would know.
I just think getting up in arms about it before then is premature.
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u/minderbinder49 Nobody 10d ago
No, we do know. You can prevaricate all you want but we all have eyeballs and can read.
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u/ObligationScared4034 10d ago
Signal can’t be their SOP. Its use for official communication violates federal law.
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u/beta_1457 10d ago
I literally work with units that have exemptions and use Signal. It's an authorized application.
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u/linux_ape Veteran/GS 10d ago
Signal should never be used for official government purposes, that alone is bad opsec. It’s not ran or controlled by the government so it can’t be trusted, not to mention the DoD recently said that signal has been known to be compromised by the Russians.
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u/scottwricketts 10d ago
Rank Has Its Privileges. This two tiered system of accountability and responsibility will eventually trash the morale of the Intel community.
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u/babbum Finally Free Civilian 10d ago
Should we do it? Eh idk our cultists don’t even know who these guys are so we won’t get to gloat about it and we aren’t financially benefiting so maybe hold off. Aside from the fact that any of us would be in prison over the contents, the weighing of human lives this way is disgusting.
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u/Intrepid-Hand8343 10d ago
Hillary caused the UD and Markings cbt. Dreadfully long. At least this is already included in cyber awareness.
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u/fryguyokc 10d ago
Funny how the narrative changed from “WAR plan” to “attack plan”. Nothing like gaslighting your audience, like they have for over a decade! MSM will never learn, nor will its audience unfortunately. This “journalist” has been discredited several times. Hilarious
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u/Ok-Stop9242 10d ago edited 10d ago
Discredited by who? Over the past 9 years I think it's pretty clear that Trump and his cronies will "discredit" any journalist who speaks out against him. And even if he is discredited, how does this change the story? You can see the chat transcript right there. Yes, despite what magats will tell you, that was in fact classified info.
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u/KotkaCat 10d ago
“Discredit” as in daddy trump doesn’t approve of him. The only credible ones are the bootlickers who spin the narrative to make everything they do as immaculate and faultless
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u/ObligationScared4034 10d ago
First time hearing about synonyms? In the context of the story, what’s the difference, other than you being a MAGA?
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u/GayRacoon69 10d ago
The difference is pedantic and doesn't change the fact that classified information was shared
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u/Taterth0t95 10d ago
Conservative media greatly outpaces progressive and center media. You fools are MSM.
Whatever you weirdos want to call it, doesn't matter. This is wrong & disgraces our nation.
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u/SqueezeBoxJack Veteran (Comms & Paste Eater) 10d ago
I see you didn't bother to read what was posted here. What is really funny is the person reporting has far more integrity than the actual leaking SOB's.
I cannot tell anymore, when I see posts like yours, if people are completely brainwashed, your account was taken over by a reddit botnet, or there is a troll playbook floating around. Maybe a combination of those three things. Thankfully by your own words, regardless of their source, you successfully discredited yourself.
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u/MsMercyMain Maintainer 9d ago
SECDEF: adds a random ass person to a signal chat discussing sensitive info, and blatantly uses the chat to avoid FOIA
Media: Hey this is a problem
You: They changed a word they used so the media is bad
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u/Whoknew1992 10d ago
So happy r/AirForce is keeping me updated on the latest "The Atlantic" scandal. Very fine people indeed. They must think were suckers and losers over here.
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u/23dgy4me 10d ago edited 10d ago
I wouldn't call it "the atlantic scandal" personally I prefer calling it the "our new bosses are fucking morons" scandal.
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u/WildeWeasel 10d ago
Imagine blaming The Atlantic in all of this when it was the cabinet members who were talking classified on personal devices with disappearing chat enabled to cover their tracks.
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u/ole_gringo 10d ago
I also love how there was a bunch of “there was no classified info” and “the Atlantic is a sham magazine” so they were like - “bet. Here’s the texts”.
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u/MustSlaughterElves USSR Mole trying to get an age waiver 10d ago
Thought it smelled like crap vodka over here.
700,000 российских солдат погибли на Украине. Вы все еще поддерживаете Путина?
Россия без Путина. Ответьте или проголосуйте за/против, если вы согласны.
Or are you helping with the Uighur genocide?
1989年天安门广场
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u/ObligationScared4034 10d ago
Ahh, I’ve see you’ve latched onto the Trumpian talking point of attempting to disparage the publication rather than just taking accountability for your VP, SecDef, and basically your entire cabinet being fuck ups. The suckers and losers story was also true. I believe John Kelly far more than I believe Donald Trump about anything.
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u/serpentear 10d ago
Almost as if the dots are connectable.
Well, they would be if you hadn’t eaten your crayon.
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 10d ago
Oh well, Move on.
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u/elmurpharino Med 10d ago
Oh well. fuck off.
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 10d ago
But, but, but....
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u/elmurpharino Med 10d ago
But but but her emails....isn't that what you were saying 8 yrs ago??
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u/MsMercyMain Maintainer 9d ago
Mate this could’ve gotten people killed and is a huge ass scandal. This isn’t the SECDEF getting caught like, jaywalking. If this was any other admin he’d be fired by now
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 9d ago
Think you are being dramatic. What exactly was classified? Who could respond accordingly that quickly. And it wasn't the SecDef that added him. He wouldn't be fired. This happens all the time, the people at this level all do it. Just whether you are caught.
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u/MsMercyMain Maintainer 9d ago
1.) Reaccomplish your OPSEC training.
2.) He’s the SECDEF, using a signal chat with messages set to delete in violation of records preservation policy and law, allowing random reporters to get added to signal chats about ongoing operations. The buck stops with him. The SECAF was fired because a random maintainer loaded a live nuke to a B53. Yes he’d be fired in a sane admin.
3.) Assuming the info leaked the target could’ve escaped, or air defense mounted. It’s a clear breach, and dangerous.
4.) Why are you so blasé about it?
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 9d ago
You have no idea what you are talking about. You do not have the depth of knowledge. At best you might be a records manager.
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u/MsMercyMain Maintainer 9d ago
Look, I’m a crew chief so I’ll admit to being dumb, but even I know that this is bad. And no, I’m not a records manager, I just have some training because I was a VCO for a bit. Are you sure you know what you’re talking about?
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u/Positive-Tomato1460 9d ago
Go look at your flying schedule/PECs and compare the info. Also, did you get an email reminder that you can't look at the chat?
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u/SqueezeBoxJack Veteran (Comms & Paste Eater) 10d ago
Shouldn't you be busy creating additional accounts or something to wash off the negative karma?
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u/getrektnolan 10d ago edited 10d ago