Well, folks, it looks like the Navy is cleaning house, and this time it’s because of a viral photo that caused quite a stir.
The commanding officer of the USS John McCain, Cameron Yaste, has been relieved of his duties—just four months after a photo surfaced showing him firing a rifle with the scope mounted backward. Yep, you read that right. A backward scope. Needless to say, the image didn’t exactly inspire confidence in the Navy’s operational readiness.
The photo was posted to the Navy’s social media back in April, and let’s just say it didn’t take long for the internet to pounce. Critics, including members of the Marine Corps, had a field day, with one Marine post cheekily captioned “Clear Sight Picture” under a photo of a Marine properly firing a weapon. Social media users were quick to mock the blunder, with some joking that the Navy was “just killing it on Instagram” (with plenty of laughing emojis, of course).
Reminder who this guy is….
Cameron Yaste, commander of the USS John S. McCain…. shooting with a gun with the scope mounted backward pic.twitter.com/weG5qaZUap— Cousin Itt (@CousinItt_00) September 1, 2024
The Navy initially tried to laugh it off, removing the photo and issuing a lighthearted statement about their “rifle scope error.” But clearly, the incident wasn’t just brushed under the rug. Yaste, whose impressive Navy bio includes stints aboard several ships and a master’s degree in astronautics, has now been relieved of duty, with the Navy citing a “loss of confidence” in his ability to command. They didn’t elaborate, but it’s hard not to connect the dots to that infamous photo.
Yaste has been temporarily replaced by Capt. Allison Christy, the deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 21. She’ll be stepping into a critical role as the USS John McCain is part of the task force supporting the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Gulf of Oman. This fleet is on high alert, ready to intervene should tensions in the Middle East escalate, particularly in relation to Israel and Iran.
OMFG 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
Commander Cameron Yaste of the USS John McCain, a guided-missile destroyer tasked with protecting the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, has been relieved of duty.
Yaste was removed from his position on Friday and faces a demotion to Naval… pic.twitter.com/VPWdi9L5Wq
— Amaya Noticer (@SB61310298) September 4, 2024
It’s a sobering reminder that even a seemingly small mistake can have big consequences, especially when you’re in charge of a $2 billion warship. Yaste’s career included plenty of accolades, but unfortunately, this photo faux pas might be what people remember most.
In the world of high-stakes military command, a backward scope on a rifle isn’t just a meme—it’s a career-ending blunder.
