- Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was ridiculed when he was photographed firing his rifle with a backward scope.
- Yaste was relieved of duty on Friday, just four months after the photo was published.
- The US Navy said Yaste was removed “due to a loss of confidence in his ability.”
The US Navy warship commander who was ridiculed online for firing a rifle with the scope mounted backward has been relieved of duty, the US Navy said on Friday.
Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was the captain of the USS John S. McCain, a US Navy destroyer that has been stationed in the Middle East since April.
“The commanding officer of USS John S. McCain was relieved Aug. 30 due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the guided-missile destroyer,” the US Navy said in a statement on the same day.
Yaste has been temporarily reassigned to Naval Surface Group Northwest, per the US Navy. The statement, however, didn’t say why Yaste was replaced.
In April, the US Navy posted a photo of Yaste firing a rifle with its scope on backward on their Instagram account. Yaste was mocked online for the gaffe and the photo was removed shortly after.
🎉 From engaging in practice gun shoots, conducting maintenance, testing fuel, and participating in sea and anchor, the #USNavy is always ready to serve 💪. Thank you for pointing out our rifle scope error in the previous post. Picture has been removed until EMI is completed! pic.twitter.com/3iwpVxszUK
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 9, 2024
The change in leadership, the US Navy said, would have no impact on the warship’s mission or schedule.
“The Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standards and holds them accountable when those standards are not met,” the US Navy said in its statement on Friday.
