The commander of U.S. Navy destroyer USS John McCain has been relieved of his duties months after the service branch faced ridicule on social media for posting a photo of him firing a rifle with its scope mounted backward.
Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was recently let go from his position “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the guided-missile destroyer,” the Navy announced in a statement, without elaborating.
In April, the Navy posted an image of Yaste aiming the rifle with a backwards scope on its Instagram account with the caption, “From 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.
Social media users then pointed out the improper setup of the rifle. Around the same time the Navy posted the image, the Marines,on their X account, shared a similar photo of one …