The commander of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, relieved Cmdr. Cameron Yaste of duties as John S. McCain’s commanding officer.  Capt. Allison Christy, deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 21, has temporarily assumed command of the destroyer.

John S. McCain is currently on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. It arrived in the Middle East in April after departing its homeport of Everett, Washington in March. There is no impact to the ship’s mission or schedule due to the relief.  

The Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standards and holds them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships. 

Yaste reported to assume the role as John S. McCain’s commanding officer in October 2023. He has now been temporarily reassigned to Naval Surface Group Northwest.

The U.S. 5th fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water space and includes the Arabian gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb.