The Air Force announced Monday that 15 Air National Guard enlisted troops and officers have been punished in connection to classified information allegedly leaked by a 21-year-old airman at a Massachusetts base earlier this year, citing a "lack of supervision" that enabled the incident.

The announcement coincided with the release of an Air Force inspector general report that found members of Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira's unit failed to take proper action after becoming aware of him seeking the intelligence, but it found no evidence that any of his supervisors knew that he was allegedly leaking the information online.

Teixeira, who worked at Otis Air National Guard Base, was arrested earlier this year following long-running leaks on an online platform used by gamers that disclosed classified information about the war in Ukraine and U.S. relations with allies. He was charged in April with unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of national defense information and classified documents. He faces six counts for the unauthorized disclosure of national defense information and is still awaiting a trial date after having filed a plea of not guilty in June.

Starting on Sept. 7, "Air National Guard leaders initiated disciplinary and other administrative actions against 15 individuals, ranging in rank from E-5 to O-6, for dereliction in the performance of duties," Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Punishment ranged from relieving personnel from their positions, including command positions, to nonjudicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

PORTLAND, Maine -- A tissue sample from the brain of a gunman who killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Maine has been sent to a lab in Massachusetts to be examined for signs of injury or trauma related to his service in the Army Reserves, officials said Monday.

The state's chief medical examiner wants to know if a brain injury stemming from 40-year-old Robert Card's military service could have contributed to unusual behavior he exhibited leading up to the Oct. 25 shootings at a bowling alley and at a bar in Lewiston .

A spokesperson for the medical examiner's office characterized the extra step as a matter of thoroughness "due to the combined history of military experience and actions."

"In an event such as this, people are left with more questions than answers. It is our belief that if we can conduct testing (in-house or outsourced) that may shed light on some of those answers, we have a responsibility to do that," Lindsey Chasteen, office administrator, wrote in an email.

The gunman's body was found two days after the shootings in a nearby town. The medical examiner already concluded that Card died by suicide.

The tissue samples, first reported by The New York Times, were sent to a laboratory at Boston University that specializes in problems associated with brain trauma, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which has plagued many professional football players. A spokesperson said the CTE Center cannot comment without the family's permission. Two family members didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

The concerns surround Card's exposure to repeated blasts while training U.S. Military Academy cadets about guns, anti-tank weapons and grenades at West Point, New York.

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off a quick visit to Washington on Monday, warning in a speech to a defense university that Russia may be fighting in Ukraine but its “real target is freedom” in America and around the world. He also issued a personal plea for Congress to break its deadlock and approve continued support for Ukraine.

His time in Washington, which will include meetings on Tuesday at the White House and with Congress, is part of a last-minute push by the Biden administration to convince lawmakers to pass a supplemental funding bill, as officials warn that the money for Ukraine is running out.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $61.4 billion for wartime funding for Ukraine as part of a $110 billion package that also includes money for Israel and other national security priorities. But the request is caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. The U.S. has already provided Ukraine $111 billion for its fight against Russia’s 2022 invasion.

“If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his secret clique," Zelenskyy told an audience of military leaders and students at the National Defense University. “Ukrainians haven’t given up and won’t give up. We know what to do. And you can count on Ukraine. And we hope just as much to be able to count on you.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who introduced the Ukrainian president, said America's commitment to Ukraine is unshakeable and supporting the war is critical to ensuring the security of the U.S. and its allies.

“America’s commitments must be honored. America’s security must be defended. And America’s word must be kept,” Austin said.