https://nypost.com/2024/04/10/...pe-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.

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.

I'm thinking a Gunners Mate is going to get roasted.

There's a Master-at-Arms, who's in trouble for giving this poorly set-up weapon to his captain.

Also, checkout the delta-ring, doesn't look like it's seated correctly.

Wow, that target seems a long ways out there.
The reticle looks a bit wonky.
The tunneling on this scope is pretty bad.
Is this light supposed to be shining into my left eye?
The buttstock just doesn't fit my shoulder pocket.

This rifle seems to make a good ensemble with my H&K pistol.

That seems like a prank played on the Captain that shouldn't have been photographed. It's a pretty good prank actually. lol

The US Navy has more important things to worry about, like inclusivity.

https://twitter.com/Mrgunsngea.../1778067331345797616



Credit to the US Navy Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for owning the mistake; it's all you can do when things like that happen.

I've certainly made my fair share of mistakes over the years.

As I said in my post - the concerning thing is *how many* Sailors were involved in that picture ever happening. Someone mounted that scope. Many were likely on the deck watching when the commander was firing the rifle with no sight picture at all. Several PAO offices at multiple levels likely reviewed the picture before publishing. No one intervened in the entire process. That's concerning...

I can imagine the person with his hand on the captain's shoulder saying, "Sir. Uh..."

well, the scribbler from the post called it an 'assault weapon' which isn't a real thing when it is in all likely hood an honest to Pete, no-kidding, no shit, definitionally correct Assault Rifle.
Besides that, whoever leaked that photo has already had coffee and crumpets with the skipper and had a good laugh about it.

quote:

Originally posted by wishfull thinker:

Besides that, whoever leaked that photo has already had coffee and crumpets with the skipper and had a good laugh about it.

It's not a "leaked photo." It was purposely put out by the US Navy's official Twitter account for PR purposes.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Credit to the US Navy Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for owning the mistake; it's all you can do when things like that happen.

No doubt there was some grumbling internally about 'those internet gun guys' playing gotcha, then the incessant parade of commentary from the Masters-At-Arms, SEALs, Marines and every other rating and position that deals with small arms on the NIPRNet, SIPRNet and every other comm.
Navy acknowledged it was a bad photo and that's a good thing, I'm sure they get the same grief from other fields on caption & imagery errors.

Its odd that the fore grip is mounted so far back, and maybe it's an optical illusion, but the barrel looks like it's bent where it comes out of the handguard. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a airsoft gun.

quote:

Originally posted by sigspecops:
Its odd that the fore grip is mounted so far back, and maybe it's an optical illusion, but the barrel looks like it's bent where it comes out of the handguard. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a airsoft gun.

Did they digitally add the brass?

If I had to guess, it's a legit rifle, just set up for a shooter that likes to have the foregrip close. As for the barrell, it may be flexing while he is firing or as you said an optical illusion.

I'm intrested to hear from our Navy memebers on how rifles are stored and issued on ship. It's possible that they handed the skipper someone elses rifle and told him to to pop off a few rounds.

I'm also wondering if the Navy adopted the VCOG? I know that the USMC did, but I have no knowledge on Navy buying them.

Uh... I can't see shit.
But do I look cool?

We still had open sight M14's as issue weapons when I was in back in the 80's on a cruiser/destroyer, I believe this is the captain on an Arleigh Burke class destroyer... BUT, regardless, there were 2 to 3 MAA's(Master at arms) on those type ships back then, and they were basically floating MP's.

Gunners Mates(GM's) handled all things small arms, they were the guys that issued the weapons to the MAA's and tracked training and quals, actually.
I don't know if that's changed or not, but back then MAA's just carried weapons issued to them, they didn't set them up. I'm not even sure they were allowed to clean them, the GM's did that too.

That's probably a rifle that would be issued to someone on the SBSF (Shipboard Security Force) for security alerts and watch-standing.

I suspect someone installed the scope backwards, just to show how stupid the commander was.

That photo appears to be digitally altered to me, or at the very least there's a couple of things that need some splainin':

- What's up with that sling? Something's off there. It appears to be set up as a single point sling, but I can't figure out how it's being worn.
- What's is seen beneath (behind?) the zoom adjusting ring of the VCOG? The adjusting Blade/lever is shown on top of the VCOG, indicating that it is positioned somewhere between 2-1.5, which seems odd for shooting a rifle at presumably a distant target off of the side of a ship.

It makes no sense, BUT...That said, the illuminated Segmented Circle of the Reticle is visible with the objective cover closed (eyepiece cover in reality!), and 'could' be used for aiming w/ both eyes open as you'd do w/ an RDS, especially if you were just having fun bursting some rounds off the side of the ship at the 'Killer Tomato' target! Just sayin'

There are, to my inexpert eyes, shells in the air, are there not? So, shouldn't this photo be captioned "...shooting rifle with scope mounted backward...?

Occurs to me to wonder just what was being seen as that trigger got pressed...

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

Occurs to me to wonder just what was being seen as that trigger got pressed...

Nothing; just open ocean.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

Occurs to me to wonder just what was being seen as that trigger got pressed...

Nothing; just open ocean.

quote:

as he took aim at a target known as a “killer tomato.”

Not familiar with that kind of target, but one would hope the Navy would use targets distinguishable from open ocean to train with?

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

quote:

as he took aim at a target known as a “killer tomato.”

Not familiar with that kind of target, but one would hope the Navy would use targets distinguishable from open ocean to train with?

I'm not NAVY but:

Killer Tomatoe, click at your own risk.