shortly after interviewing aid in 2006, "washington post" reporter christopher lee learned through a freedom of information act request that aid had been punished 21 years earlier for unauthorized possession of classified information and impersonating an officer while serving as a staff sergeant in the united states air force in the united kingdom. he was court-martialed for unauthorized possession of classified documents and impersonating an officer, received a bad conduct discharge, and was imprisoned for a year in 1986. aid responded that the release of his military records to the press was done in retaliation for his discovery of the national archives records removal, which led to an official investigation and press-attention.