US Navy warship commander mocked for holding rifle with scope mounted backward

The commander of a US Navy warship is apparently a not-so-sharpshooter.

A commanding officer of the USS John S. McCain, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was mocked online after he was photographed holding an assault weapon with its scope mounted backward as he took aim at a target known as a “killer tomato.”

Cmdr. Cameron Yast “observes the live-fire exercise event. The ship is in U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations,” read a caption posted by Defense Visual Information Distribution Service alongside an image of him holding up the weapon with the Trijicon VCOG installed backward while pointed at a large target balloon.

It noted that the “7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific Region.”

Several people also pointed out that Yaste’s shooting stance and technique were not exactly on the level of, say, a US Marine.

One user on X wrote: “US Navy just killing it on Instagram,” alongside laughing and cringing emojis.

Soon after eagle-eyed viewers spotted the tactical blunder, the Navy yanked the embarrassing image from the official Defense Department database.

“Thank you for pointing out our rifle scope error in the previous post. Picture has been removed until EMI is completed!” the US Navy said after removing the photo.

Yaste earned a commission through the Navy ROTC in 2006, according to his official bio. He also attended the Naval Post Graduate School where he earned a master’s degree in astronautics.

He was previously the combat systems and weapons officer aboard the USS Hopper.

The Post has reached out to the US Navy for comment.