Bradley Manning’s Family Leaks His Troubled Life, Before Wikileaks

A PBS Frontline investigation has revealed some interesting details about Bradley Manning’s past, and what led him to join the military.

Bradley’s father, Brian Manning, claims that prior to joining the army, his son was “aimless” and couldn’t seem to hold a job for more than a few months. While living at home, tensions began to rise between Bradley and his stepmother, culminating in some sort of knife fight recorded in a 911 call.

Bradley moved out shortly after the incident, but failed to find financial stability on his own. Brian Manning gave his son some advice on how to get his life together:

I said: “Bradley, you’re really not going anywhere, you know? You haven’t got transportation. You’re working in a coffee shop and maybe going to go to community college. You really don’t have any structure in place.” And I said: “If you get into a place at Army, you know, you’re going to have three square meals a day; you’re going to have a place to sleep and a roof over your head. And as long as you follow the path, you know, it’s all you have to do.”

Meanwhile, Manning is being held in maximum custody solitary confinement at the Marine Corps Brig, Quantico, Virginia, awaiting medical reports and a pre-trial hearing. His stepmother has maybe not been stabbed.