Navy warship commander removed from position following rifle scope controversy

The commanding officer of the USS John McCain, a Navy destroyer deployed in the Middle East to protect the USS Theodore Roosevelt, has been relieved of duty. Commander Cameron Yaste was removed from his position about four months after a photograph surfaced showing him firing a rifle with a scope mounted backward. This incident led to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead the guided-missile destroyer stationed in the Gulf of Oman.
The image of Commander Yaste with the backward-mounted scope garnered ridicule on social media and was later deleted by the Navy. Following the incident, the Marine Corps subtly jabbed at the Navy by posting a photo of a Marine with a properly mounted scope aboard the USS Boxer with the caption “Clear Sight Picture.”
Captain Allison Christy, the deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 21 within the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group also positioned in the Gulf of Oman, has taken over temporarily for Commander Yaste. The USS carriers were deployed to the Middle East in readiness to assist in defending against potential attacks by countries like Iran, according to military officials.
USS Theodore Roosevelt, accompanied by three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, serves as the flagship of the strike group and plays a vital role in safeguarding the carriers from threats on air, sea, and land.