US Navy warship commander removed from command after photo of him using rifle with scope mounted backward.
The commanding officer of USS John McCain, Cameron Yaste, received criticism on social media.
The commander of the USS John McCain was removed from his duties following months of criticism on social media after the Navy posted a photo of him firing a rifle with its scope mounted backward.
The Navy announced that Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was released from his command of the guided-missile destroyer due to a lack of confidence in his leadership abilities.
The Navy posted an image of Yaste aiming a rifle with a backwards scope on Instagram in April, along with the caption "Engaging in practice gun shoots, conducting maintenance, testing fuel purity, and participating in sea and anchor details, the #USNavy is always ready to serve and protect," according to Stars and Stripes.
The Marines posted a photo of one of its members firing a rifle with the proper configuration on their X account, captioning it "clear sight picture," while social media users pointed out the improper setup of the rifle in the Navy's image around the same time.
The post featuring Yaste was ultimately deleted.
"The Navy acknowledged the rifle scope error in a previous post and removed the picture until extra military instruction (EMI) is completed, as stated by The Associated Press."
Currently, USS John McCain is assisting in safeguarding USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East.
Currently in the Gulf of Oman, USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has temporarily replaced Yaste with Capt. Allison Christy, deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 21.
Military officials stated that the Pentagon positioned the carriers in the Middle East to aid Israel in case of an attack by Iran or other countries.
Yaste, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, has earned several awards, including the "Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards) and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards)," according to the Navy's website.
Planet Chronicle Digital did not receive an immediate response from the service branch on Wednesday when requesting a comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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