A US Navy warship commander was relieved of duty over a 'loss of confidence' 4 months after he was photographed firing a rifle with a backward scope

• Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was ridiculed when he was photographed firing his rifle with a backward scope.
• Yaste was relieved of duty on Friday, just four months after the photo was published.
• The US Navy said Yaste was removed "due to a loss of confidence in his ability."

A US Navy warship commander who was ridiculed online for firing a rifle with the scope mounted backward has been relieved of duty, the Navy said Friday.

Cmdr. Cameron Yaste was the captain of the USS John S. McCain , a Navy destroyer that has been stationed in the Middle East since April.

"The commanding officer of USS John S. McCain was relieved Aug. 30 due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the guided-missile destroyer," the Navy said in a statement on the same day.

Yaste has been temporarily reassigned to Naval Surface Group Northwest, according to the Navy.

In April, the Navy posted a photo on its Instagram account of Yaste firing a rifle with its scope on backward. Yaste was mocked online for the gaffe and the photo was removed shortly after.

The Navy said the change in leadership would have no impact on the warship's mission or schedule.

"The Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standards and holds them accountable when those standards are not met," it said in its statement.