Was it right for the Navy to let Cameron Yaste go because of a rifle mistake?

[ManOnFire]

I woke up to this news post this morning and I honestly can't see why in the world the guy actually needed to be fired for having a rifle scope on the wrong way. Am I missing something? Is it fair to relieve a ship commander of his duties for such a small thing? Does the U. S. military find it to be that humiliating? To me that's worse than how Russia used to make their generals kill themselves for losing battles in WWI and II.

Thoughts?

"Months after a photo of Cameron Yaste, commander of the destroyer USS John McCain, went viral and landed him in trouble, he has been relieved of duty, according to an official statement from the US Navy. In the photo that caused this situation, commanding officer Yaste was seen firing a rifle with a scope mounted backwards."
https://www.wionews.com/world/us-navy-warship-commander-relieved-of-duty-months-after-rifle-scope-mishap-went-viral-756045

Yes

No

[NamerOfStars]

I seriously doubt that's actually what happened; more likely, it's just an excuse to avoid publicizing something darker.

If someone hands you a gun for a photo op, you're going to be more concerned with checking safety position and such; I can easily see not bothering to check scope direction, since you're not actually shooting.

Likewise, from talking to the soldiers I've known, the idea of turning a scope around to making shooting more challenging, and then seeing who's best at it (assuming you're not in a combat situation, of course), is TOTALLY something soldiers might do.

[ManOnFire]

Well, I was thinking that too, that maybe the Navy was just using this situation as a reason to let the guy go for something else. Maybe he knew about UFOs or something deeply secret in the ranks or government, saw something he wasn't supposed to, and they used it as a reason to cancel him.

[BCA6010]

The short version is yes.

The long version is that whoever took the photo and published it should also have been punished, because they also should've known better. In fact anyone around him should've seen it and said something beforehand. Either everyone involved (including the armorer) is a complete f*cking moron who have somehow managed to slip through the cracks their entire careers, or they were making an incredibly immature joke that is unbecoming of a leader of any rank, let alone a ship commander.

If you can't handle a rifle properly, how the hell can you be relied upon to manage a Naval Destroyer?

[ManOnFire]

Explain the short version Yes.

[Jennz6]

They let me go for giving a BJ in the Sick Bay exam room. OTH

[ManOnFire]

Can't say that's exactly wrong on their part though. You did it in a sick bay.

[Jennz6]

But I was helping a sailor in need

[ManOnFire]

Do it in your private quarters.

[Jennz6]

But I was a Nurse

[ManOnFire]

Nurses aren't supposed to suck dick to relieve a patient. I'm sure some do, but doesn't make it ethical.

[Jennz6]

That’s what I was told

[Jennz6]

@ManOnFire 🥰
I just saw your profile, are you working in a clinic? What do you do?

[CuriousHubby]

Social media is so stupid and this cancel culture is just a joke!

They fired him to end any hate or anger at the Navy and give it all to him

Really if you get fired for one mistake there would be no one serving in the military!

Some dumb social media guy decided he needs to be fired and he was no questions asked!

Sure the guy knew it was on backwards for a joke or what ever. He probably hit his target too

[blueonblack22]

I would double check this with other legit media sources. Sure it’s embarrassing af for the Navy to have a CO who doesn’t even notice a rifle scope is backwards but actually firing him over it? And if he did really get fired there must be more to the story.

[ManOnFire]

All other sources give the same story. I do think they fired him for something they're not telling us and are just using this rifle thing as an excuse. Maybe he saw something he wasn't supposed to or tried to challenge some superior and they used this whole rifle photo as not just a reason to fire him but a way to humiliate him on his way out too. Military has been known to delete people without real explanations.

[blueonblack22]

Yeah it has to be a bs excuse for the real reason they don’t want to tell us. The picture is bad optics but no way they would fire him just for that. Especially nowadays when the military is having serious recruitment problems.

[MisterWack]

“To me that's worse than how Russia used to make their generals kill themselves for losing battles in WWI and II.”

To just have someone leave their position alive? Yeah I can’t give an opinion on the subject when the question & context is dumber than probably the actual issue.

[ManOnFire]

You are indeed mr. Wack. If you can fire someone with a simple mistake with a rifle in a photo, then we should be seriously worried about the ethics of our U. S military - which are already in question as it is. The Navy could respond to massive outcry about it because of people on social media, but is more than aware of things like sexual abuse in their service - which increases every year - and they likely are doing nothing about it.

I don't agree with Russia making their generals kill themselves for losing battles, but I can *remotely* understand why in the sense that repeatedly losing battles shows that you as a general are not good or smart at your job and should be dismissed. Not killed, but dismissed.

[Fireguy17]

if you make a simple mistake like that, what will happen if something more complicated happens.
He is a commander of a destroyer, those have enough fire power to level a city if he makes a simple mistake, so the Navy was completely justified in doing what they did.
He is supposed to be better than that.

[ManOnFire]

Explain to me how a photo of him with a scope on backwards is such a massive offense to the armed forces, that they would need to fire him. How does this in any way indicate incompetence in his position? Even if it was a simple mistake, does that really say he's no longer capable of running the ship?

[monorprise]

Not sure how is skills with a rifle are a qualification for commanding a destroyer

[Fireguy17]

yeppers, he has the power to eliminate cities but can't figure out a basic weapon, so if he can't understand how a simple firearm works how do we know that he knows how to operate a weapon system that is way more complicated and a bazillion times more powerful.

[Surely]

Fired! Due to lack of confidence? Then Biden should have been fired a long time ago! Same with Kamala.
Without knowing the full story. He probably wasn’t the one who installed the scope. Possible someone wanted a quick photo opportunity.

[AviatorTom]

I'd blame the engineers who designed a rifle with a scope that could be installed backwards. That's really bad engineering.

[Drewtate]

Probably more to it than that. Because of employment laws Employers usually give you enough rope to hang yourself, the military is no different.

[OddBeMe]

Seems like an issue. I’d imagine there’s other stuff his CO doesn’t like too. Like any other job.

[paledreams]

I thought it was, the sunglasses 🕶️😎

[paledreams]

I voted yeah

[ManOnFire]

That's messed up.

[Anonymous]

The scope not, the shoulder breaking hold yes

[Dongie]

Yes, commander?

[ManOnFire]

Why?

[Dongie]

Just that. He's a commander. He is supposed to set examples on proper procedure, not a barny fife screw up.

[Dongie]

I admit it's hard but I can't go against an institution of America that's been around since before the little British excursion.

[ManOnFire]

I can't see something that small as a reason to fire the guy.