The captain of the USS John McCain has been relieved of his duties, months after he was mocked on social media for posting a photo of himself firing a rifle with a reverse-mounted scope.
Commander Cameron Yaste was recently relieved of command “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the guided-missile destroyer,” the Navy said in a statement, without providing further details.
In April, the Navy posted a photo of Yaste aiming a rifle through the rear scope to its Instagram account with the caption, “Whether it's target practice, maintenance, testing fuel purity or participating in missions at sea and at anchor, the #USNavy is always ready to serve and protect.” Stars and stripes.
Social media users pointed out the rifle's improper settings: Around the same time the Navy posted the photo, the Marine Corps also posted a similar photo on its X account of one of its members firing a rifle with the proper settings, with the caption “clear sights.”
Two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups ordered to remain in Middle East amid rising tensions
This undated photo provided by Stars and Stripes shows Lt. Commander Cameron Yaste, former commanding officer of the USS John McCain, firing a rifle with the scope pointed backwards. (Stars and Stripes via The Associated Press)
The post featuring Yasute was eventually removed.
“Thank you for pointing out the error in the rifle scope in my previous post. The photo has been removed pending completion of EMI (special military training),” the Navy later wrote on social media, according to the Associated Press.
The USS John McCain is currently helping protect the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East.
Navy to ground 17 ships due to manpower shortages
The guided-missile destroyer USS John McCain is pictured in the Pacific Ocean in December 2003. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Todd Frantom/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Yaste's interim replacement is Capt. Allison Christie, vice admiral of Destroyer Squadron 21, which is currently in the Gulf of Oman with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group with the USS John McCain.
The Pentagon sent the carrier to the Middle East in case such an eventuality occurred and Israel needed help fend off an attack from Iran or another country, military officials said.
The Navy said on its website that Yaste, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, was the recipient of “the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three times) and the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal (twice).”
The USS John McCain is pictured undergoing repairs in dry dock following a rededication ceremony at Yokosuka Naval Base in July 2018. (AP/Eugene Hoshiko)
Click here to get the FOX News app
The station did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
