A Navy leader took doomscrolling to unprecedented heights by covertly installing a satellite dish on the warship under her command.
The clandestine decision was made to allow her and her crew to ‘scroll social media,’ but it ultimately derailed her military career.
An inquiry into the removal of command senior chief of USS Manchester, Grisel Marrero, has unveiled the rationale behind the demotion.
But what motivated her actions?
It’s challenging to get any signal while navigating the oceans.
Sailors often spend extensive periods at sea, spanning weeks, months, or even years, without regular updates from the outside world, including news, sports scores, and family matters.
Therefore, one might understand why Marrero chose to install WiFi on her vessel.
However, this decision compromised the ship’s safety and that of other vessels.
Warships are not designed with satellite systems to prevent potential cybersecurity threats that could jeopardize the crew’s mission.
To delve deeper into the matter:
In April of the previous year, Marrero, along with more than a dozen chief petty officers, collectively paid $2,800 to install the Starlink High Performance Kit, developed by SpaceX.
Starlink’s High Performance Kit is engineered to provide high-speed, low-latency internet while in motion. It boasts a wide field of view and advanced GPS capabilities to maintain consistent connectivity.
The investigation revealed that they had essentially purchased the best satellite available.
They then discreetly installed it on the ship before departing from San Diego.
Senior officers could communicate with friends, albeit only in specific parts of the warship, which proved insufficient.
Marrero and her team subsequently purchased signal boosters and installed them around the ship during a visit to Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
But how did they manage to keep it hidden since the WiFi would appear on phones?
They cleverly disguised the network as a printer and established payment plans for the chief’s mess to cover the costs.
Marrero was relieved of her duties after being discovered and lying to her commanding officer.
In March, she was demoted to chief petty officer following a trial where she pleaded guilty to providing false official statements to commanders.