Posted on 04/12/2024 4:21:51 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Just in the last two days we have reported on major issues with the U.S. military, ranging from delays in every major Navy shipbuilding program, U.S. Navy Facing Major Shipbuilding Delays While China’s Navy Expansion Accelerates, to problems with military recruiting: Army Invites Retirees as Old as 70 to Return to Active Duty in Attempt to Fix Recruiting Woes.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg, and all of you are likely well aware of the deteriorating state of our military under Joe Biden.
But through all this, and the other foibles of today’s DEI/CRT-centric military, we always sort of assumed a basic competence in, you know, the mission, i.e., shooting weapons.
Well, not any more.
From ZeroHedge: “We’re Going To Lose A Major War”: US Navy Deletes Photo Of Ship Commander Shooting Rifle With Backwards Scope:
Cmdr. Cameron Yaste, the Commanding Officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), was recently photographed shooting a 5.56×45mm M4 carbine with the optics installed backward.
The now-deleted image and press release on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website featured Yaste shooting the M4 with the Trijicon VCOG scope installed backward while pointed at a giant target balloon.
Here’s what the press release said before it was deleted:
Cmdr. Cameron Yaste, the Commanding Officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), fires at the “killer tomato” [i.e. a sea-deployed practice target] during a gun shoot. The ship is in US 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the US 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....
When I enlisted in 1961, we had to fill out a medical form which listed what seemed to be every disease known to mankind and check off if we'd had it or been exposed. One of the items was "HOMOSEXUAL TENDENCIES". I guess that today that might be an enhancement rather than a DQ.
A couple of years into my hitch one of our shipmates was escorted back from liberty by two Shore Patrol Petty Officers, made to pack his seabag, and was removed from the ship under arrest. We later learned that he had tried to initiate sexual contact with a teenage boy ashore. We never knew he was queer.
Black Sea Fleet is the joke fleet. Russia really doesn’t care for it, and knows it’s trapped if anything happens. The Northern and Pacific fleets are the ones to worry about.
Their duty would be to turn their weapons upon THOSE WHO GAVE THE ORDERS.
an Iowa Class Battleship fires its 16 inch guns.
How to get the most "BANG" for your buck.
give me a farm boy who knows how to work things and fix things over any of these perfumed princes in our military.....bunch of stupid wimps....
How about some more details on this? I presume a minesweeper isn't something that normally carries a doctor. And I presume that the minesweeper was watching the Soviet ship, and I presume the Soviets knew they were being watched, so is that somewhat standard to call over and ask if they have a doc on board? Professional courtesy so to speak?
Cmdr the USS John S. McCain
Makes sense
5.56mm
Sure: I was a staff officer in COMNAVSURFLANT, Norfolk - 1979-81 and I was their go-to Marine captain for all things small arms, Naval Gunfire, investigations, and I was their only newly-minted Russian speaker.
The minesweeper was Translanting from the Med to Norfolk and they were about halfway across when they decided to train with the .50 - and they blew it up.
The Spy ship - an IGY - was also Translanting the other way and heard their call for help and closed with them and launched their helicopter. The lowered a casualty basket and then carried our casualty to their ship and operated on him - then brought our sailor back to offshore of Norfolk where he was flown to a US Navy ship to get him more treatment at home.
I was appointed the Investigating Officer and I translated the Russian report on their actions and observations. I don't know whether we appropriately thanked that crew but our guy would have been dead without their over the top rescue effort.
As I mentioned earlier, it was absolutely the fault of the Gunner's Mate - and his Captain - for scheduling a firing exercise so far from any American assistance and for totally unsat knowledge of the weapons in his care.
Which Battery did you command? Didn’t the “kiss of death” Fitrep ruin your chances?
Yes it was.
That old OER kept me from getting a Hawk or Patriot battery. I tried to snare a Chaparral/Vulcan battery, but the Old Man said I was too valuable to him as his S-4, and he was right. Higher HQ never messed with us in logistical matters. I used my accounting degree (lol, that got around fast!) and my experience as the Property Book Officer.
The only inspection I had as PBO included a 2 minute outbriefing: “Colonel, your Property Book is in better shape than when LT NHN was assigned to it.”
So many stories, interesting only to me…lol.
I commanded a HQ Battery for while in Hawaii, when the captain battery commander was stricken with a very aggressive cancer and died, My first night in command, we had a mini-mutiny with our communicators and I had to go settle their issues and get them to get some sleep for the evening.
Fun stuff!
How long did you serve?
27 years: 4 years enlisted and 23 commissioned. Eventually commanded an M198 battalion.
Interesting. Thanks for the story. Even tho the US and USSR were staring each other down, nice to see some humanity.
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