--- title: "Military Leaders in Huge Trouble After Bolting a Starlink Terminal to a Warship for Unrestricted WiFi" description: "Crew members on board the US Navy's combat ship USS Manchester got caught secretly bolting a Starlink terminal to the ship's weather deck." date: "2024-09-06" modified: "2024-09-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/military-personnel-trouble-starlink-terminal-warship-wifi" categories: - "Future Society" - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" - "US Navy" --- # Military Leaders in Huge Trouble After Bolting a Starlink Terminal to a Warship for Unrestricted WiFi ![Crew members on board the US Navy's combat ship USS Manchester got caught secretly bolting a Starlink terminal to the ship's weather deck.]() *\Image: US Navy\* ## No More Mister WiFi Crew members on board the US Navy's combat ship USS Manchester got caught secretly bolting a Starlink terminal to the ship's weather deck for unrestricted WiFi access. As the [*Navy Times* reports](), the crew hilariously called their unauthorized network "STINKY" and used it to check sports scores, get in touch with family, and stream movies. When it was first discovered, the crew members behind the scheme lied about the terminal's existence. They even went as far as to forge usage documents, suggesting they had limited access to when the ship was in port. Higher-ups didn't take kindly to the situation, launching a "scathing investigation," according to the *Navy Times* — and the perpetrators didn't get off easy. ## LAN Down Under The leader of the scheme, then-commander senior chief Grisel Marrero, reportedly conspired with several of the ship's chiefs to install the Starlink terminal. It was a pretty exclusive club. Lower-ranking sailors never got to access the network dubbed "STINKY." Unsurprisingly, running a secretive broadband internet satellite on board a combat ship could have some serious security repercussions. "The danger such systems pose to the crew, the ship and the Navy cannot be understated,” the investigation obtained by the *Navy Times* reads. Marrero was convicted late last year after lying to the ship's command about the terminal. She was demoted to a lower rank following a court appearance this spring. By the time seniors got light of the situation, more than 15 USS Manchester chiefs knew about Marrero's scheme. "This agreement was a criminal conspiracy, supported by the overt act of bringing the purchased Starlink onboard USS MANCHESTER," the investigation reads. "Any new member of the CPO Mess which then paid into the services joined that conspiracy following the system’s operational status." **More on Starlink:** *[Elon Musk Rages as Brazil Freezes Starlink’s Assets]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()