In April 2023, the USS Manchester set sail with a crew ready for a mission in the West Pacific. But while most sailors endured restricted internet access as part of the ship’s operational security, the senior enlisted leadership had a different plan.

Under the guidance of Command Senior Chief Grisel Marrero, the chief’s mess secretly installed a Starlink satellite system, giving them exclusive access to their own Wi-Fi network. They dubbed it “STINKY” and used it to check scores, text home, and stream movies, all while keeping the network hidden from the rest of the crew and the chain of command, as reported by the Navy Times.

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The unauthorized network posed a serious risk to the ship’s security. According to a scathing Navy investigation, “the danger such systems pose to the crew, the ship, and the Navy cannot be understated.”

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Yet, the chief’s mess continued using the Wi-Fi, paying for it out of their own pockets and even installing signal repeaters to expand its range when they realized it wasn’t covering the whole ship.

Marrero’s secret scheme lasted months. When rumors began circulating, she lied repeatedly to her commanding officers. Even after suspicions were raised, she changed the Wi-Fi’s name to make it appear as a harmless wireless printer.

Despite several inspections, the network remained hidden until August 2023, when a civilian contractor spotted the unauthorized Starlink dish on the ship’s deck. By then, it was too late. The jig was up.

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In March 2024, Marrero was court-martialed and convicted of willful dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice.

Her sentence included a reduction in rank. The investigation revealed that over 15 chiefs had been part of the conspiracy, either by using the network, helping to install it, or keeping quiet about it. Each faced nonjudicial punishment.

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The USS Manchester’s Wi-Fi debacle was not just a lapse in judgment; it was a serious breach of operational security. The investigation noted that Marrero’s background in Navy intelligence and her specialized training in information security made her actions all the more egregious.

The chiefs involved in the scheme prioritized their own comfort over the safety and mission of the ship, creating a dangerous precedent in an already tense geopolitical environment.