back to article Command senior chief busted for secretly setting up Wi-Fi on US Navy combat ship

The US Navy has cracked down on an illicit Wi-Fi network installed on a combat ship by demoting the senior enlisted leader who ordered it to be set up. Now-former Command Senior Chief Grisel Marrero was tried and convicted in March, according to the Navy Times, which acquired documents pertaining to her trial. Marrero served …

  1. trevorde Silver badge

    Should be given a medal

    WiFi is a basic human right

    1. dr.k

      Re: Should be given a medal

      No, WiFi is NOT a basic human right. Food, shelter, air, water, and freedom are.

      1. sgj100

        Re: Should be given a medal

        The text of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says

        "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

        Which in today's environment, where much information is only available online, could be interpreted as implying that internet access is a human right.

        1. JWLong Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          The text of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says

          "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

          Which in today's environment, where much information is only available online, could be interpreted as implying that internet access is a human right.

          Obviously you never were in the US military. The UCMJ is the rule book, and you have no rights because you are a piece of government property.

          The only human right you have is to die, and to do it right. That's what the military does oh so well!

          1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            "Obviously you never were in the US military. The UCMJ is the rule book, and you have no rights because you are a piece of government property."

            If you are only property, we'd never need to hold trials, just dispose of excess malfunctioning property.

            What you are is under contract and violating orders is a breach of that contract. I didn't sign myself into the property book, but I sure did sign and swear to my contract. For over 28 years.

            What's laughable is, when I was in a forward base in the Persian Gulf, WiFi wasn't authorized - then SOCCENT wanted WiFi and they got the modifications sent through, fully to spec, complete with double KG-250 encryptors on both sides of the link.

            With a naval vessel, it's a bit more rarefied, as there are no other signal sources out on the bloody ocean and well, WiFi and EMCON are polar opposites. Our base wasn't moving around and hiding, warships can and do move around and hide on that infernally great ocean and for good reason.

            Because, getting hit with the latest and greatest flavor of HARM missile sounds like it'd really, really suck.

            Now, as a retired former senior NCO, I do believe that a long talk on a very short subject with the commander is in order. That laxness doesn't suddenly appear in a vacuum, a whole lot of folks weren't doing their damned jobs leading that senior NCO on her way up and I don't have a warm and fuzzy trusting those whose leadership and judgement I now have to question with billion dollar ships and fleets. It's called command responsibility and it's existed as a concept that's been practiced for well over a thousand years.

            1. Claptrap314 Silver badge

              Re: Should be given a medal

              When my uncle was an MP in the Air Force (Viet Nam era), he, being a flatland farm boy, went skiing with buddies on their day off. Came back cherry red. He contacted his first shirt, whose response was along the lines of, "You are not fit for duty. You will not work your next three-day shift. You have two options. Option one: In six days, you will work nine days straight. Option two: You will be Article 32'ed under the charge of 'damaging government property.'"

              Yes, in 1987, I did sign a contract. With a party that reserved the right to change any part of that contract at any time for any reason.

            2. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

              Re: Should be given a medal

              Nicely said.

            3. JWLong Silver badge

              Re: Should be given a medal

              If you are only property, we'd never need to hold trials, just dispose of excess malfunctioning property.

              What you are is under contract and violating orders is a breach of that contract. I didn't sign myself into the property book, but I sure did sign and swear to my contract. For over 28 years.

              You screw up in the military and you get prosecuted under the UCMJ, not contract law.

              I would think that someone with 28 years in would have read the UCMJ it least once!

              Military lifers are like flies, they eat crap and bother people.

        2. doublelayer Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          If you are reading it that way, it also means that I should be able to set up as many broadcast stations as I want, even if it means no other radio or TV signals can get through to you, because that is a medium by which one can express opinions. The same logic would apply to standing in your bedroom with a megaphone while you try to sleep. I think it's clear that that is not what they intended when they wrote that.

        3. jgarbo

          Re: Should be given a medal

          All "rights" are only privileges, unless you're holding the gun.

          1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            "All "rights" are only privileges, unless you're holding the gun."

            And thus began The Conversation...

            "Mine's bigger."

            "Mine's loaded."

            "Mine's parked on your foot."

            "Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!"

            1. Claptrap314 Silver badge

              Re: Should be given a medal

              "Mine's parked on your head"

              "Which one?"

            2. herman Silver badge

              Re: Should be given a medal

              There are two kinds of people. Those with guns - and those who dig. You dig.

        4. LybsterRoy Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          -- Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; --

          That's a wonderful idea but in today's environment it just doesn't work.

        5. DaveLE

          Re: Should be given a medal

          Just because you call something Universal, doesn't mean it is

          https://elearning.icrc.org/detention/en/story_content/external_files/Human%20Rights%20in%20Islam%20(1990).pdf

          ARTICLE I:

          (a) All human beings form one family w hose members are united by submission to God and descent from Adam. All men are equal in

          terms of basic human dignity and basic obligations and responsibilities, w ithout any discrimination on the grounds of race, color, language,

          sex, religious belief, political affiliation, social status or other considerations. True faith is the guarantee for enhancin g such dignity along

          the path to human perfection.

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

          2. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            What on earth is your point, apart from shoehorning in a bit of dodgy Koran?

            1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

              Re: Should be given a medal

              "What on earth is your point, apart from shoehorning in a bit of dodgy Koran?"

              I'm guessing that they're missing the wonderful opportunity to be invited to show their religion up their arse sideways.

              I get way too much of that in the fascist states of America, where the Christian Taliban are trying to misrule, while violating every one of their own commandments.

              Years ago, I referred to them as the Amoral non-Majority to their faces. Now, I simply refer to them as zero targets to their faces. Largely because, they just love to bring up discussion of firearms first, most inappropriately and that's a mistake with me - I'm a competition shooter as a hobby.

              Talk of firearms belongs in firearms shops and firing ranges and very few other places.

              1. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

                Re: Should be given a medal

                "Talk of firearms belongs in firearms shops and firing ranges and very few other places."

                "that's a mistake with me - I'm a competition shooter as a hobby."

                The cognitive dissonance is strong with this one.

          3. very angry man

            Re: Should be given a medal

            except for the last line i think that came from the US consternation

        6. Casca Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          Its a fucking navy ship you plank!

        7. Bitbeisser

          Re: Should be given a medal

          What a clown statement! Sorry, but this is on a military vessel, a place where very strict rules apply. That is something you are aware of from the very first day you join the military, something you quite obviously never did.

          Installing such an unauthorized technology on a warship can endanger the whole crew and the mission of the ship in more ways that you can possibly imagine. In addition to the possibility to enable spying and other ways of allowing unauthorized access to shipboard functions...

      2. Ahosewithnoname

        Re: Should be given a medal

        You don't think maybe that wasn't meant to be taken 100% seriously?

        1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          Poe's Law applied. I gave it P(0.5), and did not vote on it either way.

        2. Claptrap314 Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          No troll icon. No other indication one way or the other in the expressionless internet. Downed for lack of clarity if not outright lack of intelligence.

      3. LybsterRoy Silver badge

        Re: Should be given a medal

        I took the post as sarcasm. Personally I'm baffled as to how "rights" seem to constantly change and, generally, expand over the millennia.

        Food - yup if I can catch and kill it or dig it up, or pluck from tree whilst avoiding becoming food myself

        Shelter - OK if I can evict the bear that's already living in the cave

        Air - OK plenty of that around

        Water - hmmm, not necessarily rivers change their courses (or freeze up), deserts tend not to have to much and the sea is a bit salty

        Freedom - only recently and still not in every country

        1. Mike 137 Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          "I'm baffled as to how "rights" seem to constantly change and, generally, expand over the millennia"

          Over the millennia, rights have changed due to changes in the social order, which is not really surprising. The modern human rights as initially defined in the Declaration are those that were specifically denied certain categories of people during the 1920s-40s by a couple of extremely oppressive regimes. The aim was an attempt to prevent the abuses recurring. However, the list was intentionally left open ended and has been added to as societal expectations have evolved, and (within the limits of common sense) that's a good thing.

          1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            I'm baffled how anyone who is even marginally educated could be baffled by the idea that different cultures conceive human rights differently. That shows a rather fundamental failure to understand anything about how human beings behave.

        2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          "Freedom - only recently and still not in every country"

          Well, freedom in and of itself is a rather variably considered thing. Most people, even under rather oppressive regimes consider themselves free.

          But in this context, WiFi on a naval vessel is like my rifle, inherently dangerous if misapplied and one's neighbors won't like what can fly in through the window when it's misapplied.

          Which is why my pistols and rifles are locked up and my WiFi is locked down. And I've got an advantage in that nobody is in a hurry to waste a missile on me.

          1. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            For somebody who said "Talk of firearms belongs in firearms shops and firing ranges and very few other places.", you sure do talk a lot about your firearms.

    2. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

      Re: Should be given a medal

      The technology needed to keep WiFi safe exists but there'd be insurmountable government bureaucracy to get it working. I'm betting it was simply plugged into the LAN.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Should be given a medal

        It's a military environment. Comms are generally controlled in such places, for good reason.

        What intrigues me is that it too so long to be picked up. I worked in places where the need to first boot up an OS before you can kill WiFi would have someone standing next to your desk before you even got to the login prompt - let's just say that the people responsible for location security there were both very much on the ball and less than subtle :).

        1. DS999 Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          Maybe the one running the illegal wifi network was also the one responsible for comms security?

          1. WonkoTheSane
            Holmes

            Re: Should be given a medal

            "Maybe the one running the illegal wifi network was also the one responsible for comms security?"

            That could explain why she was able to "edit an image of the ship's Starlink data usage to show less data being transferred via the satellite link"

          2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            "Maybe the one running the illegal wifi network was also the one responsible for comms security?"

            Shouldn't be, for IASO, that's typically an O-4 equivalent billet. I know, as after I retired, I had that very job and equivalent rank.

            Effectively advancing from Corporal Punishment to Major Malfunction overnight... ;)

            She had a non-commissioned officer rank, so wouldn't be in that billet. Especially, now, given it's also possible that she'll lose her security clearance, hence billet and trust overall.

            This isn't what one would call a burst of intracranial flatulence, this is two orders of magnitude worse.

            And one has to consider how permissive an environment that the commander created to invite this in the first place.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Should be given a medal

          You can of course forcibly disconnect wifi without particular knowledge of given networks by just spamming malformed commands over various channels.

          Legality of such actions will vary by jurisdiction, but closing down anything on Wifi for anyone with access to say, a raspberry pi and wifi module, or any laptop from the last 10 years can make for a pretty effective jammer, no matter how crude.

          1. sitta_europea Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            "... a raspberry pi and wifi module ...can make for a pretty effective jammer ..."

            When my wife switches on WiFi on her Pi, the thermometer on the weather station stops working.

          2. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: Should be given a medal

            "Legality of such actions will vary by jurisdiction, but closing down anything on Wifi for anyone with access to say, a raspberry pi and wifi module, or any laptop from the last 10 years can make for a pretty effective jammer, no matter how crude."

            The jammer then becomes a radiator. When it's prudent for a ship to go into EMCON, having non-spec transmitters is a huge problem. There's nothing in the procedures or control systems to turn them off and verify them off.

        3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: Should be given a medal

          "let's just say that the people responsible for location security there were both very much on the ball and less than subtle"

          Yeah, waving hello, that would be me. Unauthorized anything popped up in multiple alert channels, both in Arcsight and other consoles - even when some enterprising soul would try to mac clone an authorized device. Entertaining is when they'd unplug the MFC printer and clone it's MAC and IP, as printers were on an isolated vlan and alerts on that were vanishingly rare. Their first hint was that their managed switch port suddenly shut down, then the knock on the door ensued. Usually didn't have to escalate it, just reported it and it wasn't repeated, which was all everyone really wanted in the first place. There already was the contracted local ISP network that was open to residential usage.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Should be given a medal

            One of our office comedians routinely sets their mobile up as an access point titled "HMRC Tax Van".

            1. TheRealRoland
              Angel

              Re: Should be given a medal

              Left-pondian equivalent : "FBI Surveillance van #2"

              Even better, since i have a neighbor that has "TRUMP 2024" as ssid...

      2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: Should be given a medal

        "The technology needed to keep WiFi safe exists but there'd be insurmountable government bureaucracy to get it working. I'm betting it was simply plugged into the LAN."

        Not really, the paperwork is a bit dense, but achievable - I was involved in just such a project. Loads of moving parts, as one has to get encryption devices, get keys issued for them and those keys have to be rotated on a regular basis, there are compliance measures for configuration, all were part of my job.

        But, I'm damned sure it was just plugged into the LAN, which makes me ask what their IASO was doing - other than their damned job.

        What she did in this case, placed a 2.4 and 5 GHZ flag on her own ship in an environment where no such signals should exist.

        So, where was the IA shop, for that matter, what was the commander doing, other than not supervising and educating the personnel?

        As a senior NCO, if a mission went sideways, my first question I asked myself is how did I set up a winning team to fail so horribly. It was always some stupid oversight that I never repeated and thankfully, grew rarer and rarer as time went on. But boy, did I lead some winning debacles in my early days! The most common problem, a lack of communication. And I took proper credit for the debacle, which actually engendered trust from the commander and men.

    3. jgarbo

      Re: Should be given a medal

      Not in the military, which is by definition an authoritarian operation.

    4. RPF

      Re: Should be given a medal

      What an utterly bonkers thing to say.

    5. arachnoid2

      Its a war ship not a ferry boat.

      You obviously have no concept of security especially on unmonitored broadcasts and receptions. This unregulated and uncertified system in a state of combat, could have severely compromised both the crew and the ship to the point of it being easily targetted by a ner do well.

      Its akin to standing of the fore desk waving a light at an enemy plane.

    6. steviebuk Silver badge

      Re: Should be given a medal

      Not when you're on a warship and where using such a system could very well give away your location. Much like Fitbit and Strava giving away secret military locations. Why that story has not made it so these companies should be FORCED to give the option that NO DATA is to leave a device and should be able to work fully without talking to a server is anyone's guess.

  2. Bebu
    Windows

    Radio silence?

    I suspect it wouldn't matter what sort of transmitter if its being operated outside the knowledge and control of the vessel's command.

    A wifi's AP beacon and general traffic would likely subvert any attempt for the craft to operate covertly.

    If like AU recruitment into the forces is a real challenge the military are in an invidious position - discharging a serving member for a serious breach of discipline becomes an extremely unattractive option.

    Retention is also a major challenge - skills and training acquired in the services are often highly sought after in civilian life.

    1. DS999 Silver badge

      Re: Radio silence?

      If they're using Starlink radio silence was likely not the concern. If you're close enough to receive wifi (which may be REALLY close if the APs are inside rooms, which on ships are made of metal) you are more than close enough to see a ship of that size.

      1. Richard 12 Silver badge

        Re: Radio silence?

        A military vessel needs to be able to order radio silence on demand.

        Turning off their known Starlink transmitter is trivial, and already has a procedure, someone to do it, and likely automation in case of unexpected attack. Same as for the transponders and active navigation radar.

        Turning off rogue APs is none of the above.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Radio silence?

          if it's got starlink, elon will have already given putin the location!

        2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: Radio silence?

          "A military vessel needs to be able to order radio silence on demand."

          Yep and the military Starlink is called Starshield, with full DISA blessing and the ability to immediately shutter operations.

          My question remains, where was their IA shop, as a rogue device should've immediately popped up on the ship's IA console as well as their higher echelon monitors.

          Anything untoward, I saw the alerts, got a message from our RCERT and usually, from the NSA. I'd then CC them on my report, as usually, it was Mischief Managed by the time their e-mail or phone call arrived on the VOSIP.

          Cracks in the hulls, now cracks in the command structure...

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Radio silence?

        Yep, WiFi itself probably isn't the concern. A bigger problem is that an unautgorized communications channel won't get shut down if the vessel needs to go "river city" (no communication except for official military channels).

        This can be for mundane drills, or for top secret stuff going on, but there's an unfortunate and more common use case: if a crew member dies, the ship will go river city to give the navy time to formally notify the family instead of risking them finding out 3rd hand from a Facebook post.

        1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

          Re: Radio silence?

          "if a crew member dies, the ship will go river city to give the navy time to formally notify the family instead of risking them finding out 3rd hand from a Facebook post."

          Yeah, had to implement that for our base twice. Sad time.

      3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: Radio silence?

        Unless she used a civilian Starlink terminal, they'd be on the Starshield network, Starlink's military constellation and they do have the ability to go into the proper EMCON levels instantly.

        Not really enough information to tell which happened, but then, not my monkey, not my circus. I am quite certain a Rear Admiral or two are asking the Skipper some extremely difficult to answer questions though.

        And that entire ship class has its own special set of problems with corrosion and cracked hulls, don't need someone endangering the damned ship that's already a danger to itself.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Radio silence?

      It's not just enemy receivers. The ship itself has sensitive wideband receivers for the modern radar system. All transmitters and their antennas are placed with care around those receiver antenna panels, and their performance impact modelled. As opposed to unknown and slapdash WiFi installations.

  3. Throatwarbler Mangrove Silver badge
    Terminator

    No networks ...

    ... on the Old Man's boat!

    1. UnknownUnknown

      Re: No networks ...

      Did NCIS get called in - a sure fire season finale for Gibbs and the Gang.

      Shame it’s parent JAG doesn’t run any more or we could see the whole sorry tale played out for us as a cross-over.

      1. Cynical Pie
        Pint

        Re: No networks ...

        Upvote for the NCIS reference and a refreshing beverage for the mention of JAG

      2. WonkoTheSane

        Re: No networks ...

        Sadly, Gibbs retired to Alaska a couple of seasons ago.

        However, a new series is on the schedules for September - NCIS: Origins.

        Summary:- Young Leroy Jethro Gibbs starts his career as a special agent at the fledgling Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.

        Yes, I know they were called NIS at that time.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

  4. sanmigueelbeer
    Coat

    WiFi? In a boat with metal bulkheads all around?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Anon because ...

      Actually works quite well, or so I believe ;-)

      While steel decks and bulkhead do block the signals, they also reflect them quite well - so the reflections can get where you might not expect them. I've even seen a document showing that a normal hatch still leaks radio when shut.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hypocrisy

    Elmo's Starlink being used on a combat vessel would go against his T&Cs if his pronouncements about Ukraine using it for combat ops are true wouldn't it?

    Or could it be he's just a massive fucking hypocrite...

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Hypocrisy

      Is Elmo from your autocorrect, or an attempt to coin ElMu, a la ScarJo or BoJo?

      1. theDeathOfRats

        Re: Hypocrisy

        I'd guess it's because the Starlink owner is a bit of a muppet?

    2. Claptrap314 Silver badge

      Re: Hypocrisy

      Or, you know, a US citizen with the legal constraints thereof.

    3. mattaw2001

      Re: Hypocrisy

      The official military version is called StarShield. As for Elon's motivation, what an impossible question! Some rational explanations may be: price as $shield >> $link? Try and prevent Russian hackers attacking the system? Maybe they believed they were supplying them for humanitarian reasons? Lastly maybe there's regulatory issues as in a military drone controlled by starlink - they don't want a bunch of countries banning starlink? I'm interested in what other folks think?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    An IT lesson

    She now knows the difference between backhaul and keel-haul!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: An IT lesson

      Apparently not, if she only got bumped down one rank. Suggests the the senior ranks at her court martial don't have a clue about how serious this sort of security breach is either. Hope they never have to handle the nuclear codes.

      1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: An IT lesson

        "Hope they never have to handle the nuclear codes."

        It's a littoral combat ship, Independence Class, aka being retired faster than they're still building them due to cracks in the superstructure and corrosion problems. They're by definition non-nuclear capable.

        Now, what's more likely, along with a one grade reduction would go a loss of her security clearance and well, there ain't many billets for E-7's without a security clearance. Her career is spectacularly over.

      2. I could be a dog really Silver badge

        Re: An IT lesson

        If you read the article, it sounds like the demotion wasn't for the WiFi network, but for dishonesty in trying to cover it up.

        1. mattaw2001

          Re: An IT lesson

          It's both lying and the illegal Wi-Fi, and everyone is repetitively trained on having no unauthorized radio transmitters.

          Firstly there's Emission Control (in the UK Navy it was called Tempest), the fear of leaking information. It's broader than messages/data as it includes leaking of the units's location, whether weapon systems are armed etc. It's no secret attack submarines, regiments, bases, etc have multiple signal interception technologies including cell phone decoders, etc.

          Secondly there are a lot of RF systems aboard from radars to radios to jammers all with carefully coordinated aerial positions and planned emission patterns. So so uncoordinated unauthorized radio equipment can really ruin critical facilities you need in a pinch.

  7. Strangelove

    The problem is not that the enemy can intercept the wifi traffic - they probably cant, at least not at any sensible range, even if it is not encrypted, but that when there is a need to go dark, and the big button is pushed that turns off the RADAR the VHF & HF comms and presumably the Starlink uplink transmissions at the same time, the WiFi will still be warbling away with the RF equivalent of painting a 'shoot me here' roudal on the side of the vessel detectable as a bump in the noise floor by direction finding and ranging kit for miles.

    Things that transmit are only permitted under a very limited set of conditions, and being officially approved and under the control of a single order from the captain is one.

    And then the MP or equivalent will worry if this was a connexion onto the internet, how do you avoid users revealing what they are doing, either deliberately or accidentally allowing secure information to leak.

    But the main charge is probably about not following the correct process - because if folk are likely not to do that on one area of activity then they are seen as a risk to the rest of the team in any area.

    Mike

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Additional reason the unauthorised WiFi may be frowned upon:

      1, The unauthorised WiFi would deprive the uplink of bandwidth for official purposes

      2, Crew might send information about the boat that might be use to adversaries. Eg, a dismantled gun turret in the background of a photo of me and my pals I emailed to my mum.

    2. Nitromoors

      The extra big problem is the falsifying of records and doccuments to attempt hide the sad state of affairs. One step down the ladder seems a trivial punishment. I would have been sacked sacked where I worked for breach of trust. And that was not in a highly secure or sensitive environment.

      1. sitta_europea Silver badge

        "...One step down the ladder seems a trivial punishment...."

        Amen to that. Unless there's something we don't know about this story, on the face of it I'd have expected the punishment to be at least a dishonorable discharge.

        On the other hand a few years back one of my pupils at the local judo club went off to be a PT instructor in the army.

        One evening a couple of years later while on leave visiting his family he turned up to train with us.

        When I saw him I grinned at him in welcome and I thought, "great, we're all going to get a pasting tonight".

        As it turned out the bloke was a *lot* less fit than when he left the club, and it was me who gave him the pasting.

        I'm about forty years older than he is, which makes me a bit worried that standards might be slipping.

  8. Nifty

    It's the modern version of Sergeant Bilco, the wiley character who was forever operating entrepreneurial ahem, schemes using US military property.

    1. RT Harrison
      Angel

      That's the "E4 Mafia", that doesn't exist. Honest. They don't strategically transfer equipment to an alternate location because they don't exist, obviously.

  9. hammarbtyp

    Based on my extensive naval experience (6 weeks on a RFA oiler :) ) I can say that most naval trips are periods of intense boredom interspersed by sleep. Therefore the temptation to do anything to relieve that tedium has a strong incentive. In my time I was amazed how many computers had been re-purposed to play pirated computer games. However this was simpler times before the age of ipads, iphones, networks, sophisticated computer viruses from nation states etc

    What probably happened was that someone decided that they wanted to access their movie collection when on watch. Since the ships networks are generally locked down hard, they showed initiative and decided to set up their own WifI network. However being a closed community, this quickly became general knowledge and quickly got out of hand.

    Reading between the lines, I wouldn't be surprised that this is not more common that announced. When any mobile device can be a hotspot, it is difficult to crack down on. While the article concentrates on the wifi side, if they had just owned up to it, it would probably just been a slap on the wrist, don't do it again. However they tried to hide it by falsifying records. All military forces take a severe dim view of this sort of thing since it can compromise both safety and security, which is why the book is being thrown at them

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Book thrown ? Seems like she barely got a pamphlet waved at her. She should have been busted several ranks and shipped to Antarctic duties.

      1. Cliffwilliams44 Silver badge

        A demotion of 1 rank is pretty standard of they are not throwing you in prison!

        1. Claptrap314 Silver badge

          It's also the maximum penalty for a Summary Courts Martial.

          Yeah, that stench is not from the fish.

  10. b1k3rdude

    @Mathew, very good sir, very good.

  11. richdin

    Oblivious

    A LONG time ago (80's) - when wireless keyboards & mice first appeared - I was called up to the army reserves... When I arrived in station, I noticed that everyone in the office were happily tapping away on their shiny brand-new wireless kit! I went berserk and started yanking away these keyboards with the resulting screams of anguish - until I saw the unit commander, a Brigadier (1 star General) with his. As I pulled it out from his hands I "politely" explained that everyone outside the fence (next to his office) could be reading everything he was typing... he was quick to comprehend and commenced yelling at everyone else while sheepishly asking me to get him a cabled keyboard so he could finish up his writing.

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Oblivious

      I didn't mean to doubt your chronology, but my 1980s seemed to me (and my likely ignorance) to be a bit early for wireless mice and keyboards. So, idle curiosity engaged I spent ten minutes trying to find "what was first wireless keyboard" and "when was first wireless computer mouse" etc, and I've found the internet is (surprisingly) useless on this front.

      One source says Logitech made a IR wireless mouse in 1984 and its first RF wireless mouse in 1991. Which isn't definitive, of course.

      1. sitta_europea Silver badge

        Re: Oblivious

        "...1980s seemed to me (and my likely ignorance) to be a bit early for wireless mice and keyboards."

        I had a wireless keyboard on an Apricot machine in 1984.

        Of course it wasn't WiFi, it was infrared. But it was most definitely wireless.

  12. Marty McFly Silver badge
    Holmes

    But, Why???

    Why was the WiFi network stood up? What needs were unmet by the ship's on-board systems?

    Command Senior Chief's know better. They are also the go-to when something needs to get done and a problem solved. Yes, sometimes that means bending the rules. Officers may give the orders, but it is no secret the Chief's run the Navy. We are all assuming this network was in place for illicit purposes, but that isn't stated in the article. It was only 'unauthorized and unapproved'.

    I wonder if this WiFi network was set up to fix some sort of problem which could not be fixed through official channels? And when it was uncovered it caused some official embarrassment to those who should have fixed the problem? Therefore punishment must be bestowed to conceal the official embarrassment.

    I suspect there is a lot more to this story than is presented publicly.

    1. Claptrap314 Silver badge

      Re: But, Why???

      Okay, that is a more benign explanation that I had considered... and frankly makes at least as much sense as almost any other explanation.

      So, option 1) either the ship's captain, or one of their direct reports, wanted this network for semi-valid reasons, and decided the official channels would not do it. The CCPO makes it happen. When things start to unravel, again, with command direction, the CCPO tries to cover the evidence. When the whole thing blows up, command covers for the CCPO by calling convening a Special Courts Martial, ending her career, but almost certainly NOT denying retirement. Command makes certain that the CCPO is taken care of so as to keep quiet.

      Option 2) There is a complete breakdown in discipline on the ship. The CCFO wants her cat pictures, so sets up this network. Somehow, the office responsible for detecting such things does not manage to do so for MONTHS. Along the way the CCPO blatantly impedes an official investigation to cover what she has done. When it all blows up, she is allowed to retire with a loss of rank, presumably because she is the captain's ship wife.

      No way do I see this going down without a Bad Conduct Discharge without command intervention. This is not a misdemeanor or small matter. Falsifying evidence is a felony. This should have been a general courts martial. So--why was it not?

  13. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
    Pint

    Sub Header (Pun Intended)

    Icon for the Sub HeaderWriter.

    Even if he has managed to put both The Village People & The Big Yin into my head.

  14. Kev99 Silver badge

    Only one grade for violating security on a combat vessel? During The War that would have gotten you a trip to the brig for hard time.

    1. James O'Shea Silver badge

      combat security

      An LCS ain't a combat vessel, it's a semi-mobile target, not quite as bad a a Russkie aircraft carrier. (LCSes can, usually, move on their own power and won't usually trail lots of smoke. The one and only Russkie carrier needs a tug to travel with it because the engines are unreliable and smokes harder than the Grand Fleet in 1916, and most of them were coal-fired.) LCSes are so bad that the USN tried to pawn them off on the US Coast Guard, who said thanks but no thanks, keep your damn rust buckets. Apparently no foreign Partners for Peace wanted them, either. They're getting scrapped with 10-15 years use, not the 20-30-40-50 years other ships get.

      Some in the USN have advocated a large SINKEX/SHOOTEX. After tying up certain uniformed and not uniformed politicians and putting the politicians on the targets... ah, that is, the ships.

  15. James O'Shea Silver badge

    The US Navy is strange`

    In most other armed forces senior NCOs are just that, senior NCOs. In the USN, they are Chief Petty Officers, a.k.a. God (jg). (God (sg) are warrant officers. Even admirals will try to avoid annoying warrants, such as the Chief of the Boat, the warrant or E-8 or E-9 CPO who's the most senior not-a-commissioned-guy on a submarine.) Petty Officers (a.k.a. junior NCOs) do most of the work; CPOs tell the POs what to do and when to do it. Officers stand around and look pretty and do NOT get in the CPOs' way if they know what's good for them. A CPO E-8 would be the senior CPO on most ships, especially a small piece of shit like a Littoral Junkheap. (Certain people have been heard to advocate getting rid of the LCSes, and those responsible for the existence of LCSes, by conducting a SHOOTEX or two... after first tying the idiots responsible to chairs on the bridges of the LCSes, towing the LCSes out to sea and getting useful work out of them by way of target practice with live ammunition. Those tied to the chairs would be mostly politicians, in and out of uniform. Yeah, LCSes are hated that much.

    The senior CPO on a ship, even a LCS, is on the way up and will make E-9 or warrant and soon. Except not this girl, it's game over for her. It's not the being busted down to E-7 that's the problem, being bust down one rank is the max that could be done at that level of court; it's the loss of her security clearance and the reason why she was busted. There are very few jobs for a E-7 who doesn't have a security clearance BECAUSE SHE LIED TO HER COMMAND. She ain't got no clearance, will never get a clearance again, and cannot be trusted. Game over, girl. Time to enter the wonderful world of civilian life, your future in the Navy is limited to counting paper clips in an office in some naval station as far away from the sea and the Real Navy as possible.

  16. Andy3

    Just how thick can you be? Wifi may be low power, but sensitive surveillance systems could probably track it over some distance. And it's not super-secure either. I wonder if there's more to this than just being stupid - was she acting for 'the enemy'?

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