Maybe the lens cap is on because it is photoshopped? Have you even given serious thought as to whether some military guy with either a grudge or a sense of humor may have photoshopped it?
I am not going to accept your stated "fact" because there appear to be inconsistencies which call into question the accuracy of the photo.
What is the other problem, that someone was holding his shoulder? That the hand grip is farther back than you like it to be?
if it were photoshopped, there would have been a post saying so. Instead, the official Navy IG account deleted it with no explanation, even though it was getting lots of attention. No "Oops!", no "This was a trainee who messed up," and no "It was a photoshopped pic that we failed to catch."
So, you can try and do your standard "Not necessarily" BS all day, but facts are facts. Nobody has offered definitive proof it was faked, so why are you so sure it was? Are you a photoshop expert?
I've seen one semi-plausible explanation that suggested the Navy actually edited the scope digitally after the photo was taken for some reason -- maybe to make it look cooler? Maybe because there's no rear sight? Maybe because it was supposed to be there but wasn't?
if anyone did edit it, it had to be the Navy. So, I reiterate my earlier question. is it really any better that they photoshopped the pic to add a backward scope with the lens cap on, and nobody noticed before publishing? The reason I find it semi-plausible is because, if the Navy did alter the image, that in itself is worthy of ridicule, both from an incompetence standpoint and an integrity standpoint by failing to own up to their mistake. it might explain why they haven't offered an explanation one way or the other.
Maybe the Navy hired this photographer ...
