The US Navy has shut down an unauthorized Wi-Fi network on a warship. The senior commander who ordered its installation has been demoted. Former senior chief Grizzel Marrero was convicted in March, according to Navy Times, which obtained court documents.
Marrero served on the USS Manchester, a coastal warship assigned to the US Navy's Pacific surface fleet. Navy officials confirmed the message for The Register and added:
"Senior Chief of USS Manchester (LCS 14) Gold Crew, Senior Chief Grizzel Marrero, was relieved of her duties due to a loss of trust in Marrero's ability to fulfill the duties of a senior commander. The Navy's senior leadership adheres to high standards of personal and professional conduct. They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable if they do not meet these standards."
From March to August of last year, while serving on the "Manchester," Marrero "intentionally coordinated the procurement, installation, and use of an unauthorized and unauthorized Wi-Fi system," according to the charges.
The wording of the accusation suggests that Marrero did not act alone, as other sailors were also punished in connection with the incident. Wi-Fi is not the best network in terms of security, and the use of this wireless network technology is prohibited on US Navy ships.
The installation went unnoticed until around June of last year, when a crew member tried to inform the ship's commander about the unauthorized network. However, Marrero intercepted this hint and did not inform the commander about the deployment of Wi-Fi to avoid consequences.
The scheme was exposed in August when a crew member of the "Manchester" received disciplinary action. To "influence or hinder" the punishment of the crew member, Marrero edited an image of the use of Starlink data on the ship to hide the data and Wi-Fi network.
It is not specified whether the crew member was disciplined for the Wi-Fi network and the use of Starlink data at that time, but in any case, the senior commander lied to her superiors.
Initially, Marrero was dismissed from her position in September, and then the case went to military court. She was charged with willful failure to perform duties, giving false testimony, and obstructing justice. She pleaded guilty to all charges except the last one, but she was still found guilty. The punishment was demotion in rank from E-8 to E-7. It is not known how other participants in the case were punished.
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