(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Due to a photograph published (and subsequently retracted) by the United States Navy, it became the butt of jokes not only among its comrades in the U.S. Armed Forces but also among military personnel worldwide.
The controversy stemmed from a picture released by the U.S. Navy on its Instagram account a few days prior, showing Commander Cameron Yaste of the destroyer USS John S. McCain holding an M4 rifle and looking through a rifle scope that was notably mounted upside down.
Additionally, the positioning of the foregrip on the firearm was installed in an unusual manner.
The image of Commander Yaste holding the firearm with the clearly inverted rifle scope was accompanied by a caption emphasizing the Navy’s readiness for service and protection through various activities such as practice shootings, maintenance, fuel purity testing, and sea and anchor details.
The erroneous mounting of the rifle scope, which was visibly upside down, sparked a range of reactions from the military community not just in the United States but globally, questioning the competency of what is considered the world’s leading military power.
Comments from netizens suggested that even Hollywood wouldn’t make such a blunder as the U.S. Navy did with the upside-down mounting of the rifle scope.
Following the diverse reactions and cheeky comments, the U.S. Navy withdrew the photo from publication.
One of the first to mock the “comedic” posting by the U.S. Navy was the United States Marine Corps (USMC), which released an image of its members firing their weapons with correctly mounted rifle scopes during a drill aboard the Amphibious Assault Ship USS Boxer.
The USMC captioned their photo “Clear Sight Picture,” a jab implying their targets were clearly visible thanks to the correctly mounted scopes.
Even Congressman Mike Collins (Republican) joined in the ribbing, suggesting that the U.S. Navy now possessed a new weapon type.
He commented on this through his account on X (formerly known as Twitter), adding a political dimension to the widespread amusement and critique following the Navy’s gaffe. — DSA