The commander of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS John McCain has been relieved of duty. This comes months after the Navy faced backlash online for a photo showing him firing a rifle with a backwards scope.
Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was removed "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," according to the Navy. They did not give further details.
In April, the Navy shared an image of Yaste aiming a rifle with the scope mounted incorrectly. The post on Instagram said the Navy was always ready to "serve and protect," reported Stars and Stripes.
Social media users quickly noticed the error. At the same time, the Marines shared a similar post with a properly configured rifle, captioning it, "clear sight picture."
The Navy later took down the post featuring Yaste. They responded on social media, thanking users for pointing out the mistake. "The picture has been removed until EMI is completed," they said.
Currently, USS John McCain is helping protect the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East.
Capt. Allison Christy has temporarily taken Yaste’s place. Christy is deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 21, which is part of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the Gulf of Oman.
The Pentagon deployed these carriers to the Middle East in case Israel needs help if an attack from Iran or others occurs, military officials said.
Yaste, from Knoxville, Tennessee, has earned several awards during his service, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.