Hegseth says suspensions lifted for helicopter crews who hovered over Kid Rock home | US military
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopters flying near the swimming pool while applauding and saluting singer Kid Rock on Saturday are no longer on duty.
“No punishment. No investigation,” Hegseth wrote on social media. “Go ahead, patriots.”
Hegseth’s announcement came just hours after a U.S. military spokesman said the crew had been suspended from the flight pending an investigation.
“The Army confirms that on March 28, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that attracted public and media attention,” according to a statement from the Army on Tuesday.
The Army said it was reviewing “the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with applicable FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol and approval requirements.”
Kid Rock, a supporter of Donald Trump, told WKRN-TV on Monday that it is not unusual for helicopters from nearby Fort Campbell to fly near his home. He said he was a big supporter of the military. He has performed for troops overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.
“I think they know it’s a pretty friendly place,” he said. He said he was at Fort Campbell, a large army base on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, with Vice President J.D. Vance last Thanksgiving.
“I talked to some of these pilots. I told them: ‘Do you see me waving when you come home?’ “I said, ‘You can come to my house whenever you want,'” he said.
Kid Rock posted two short videos on social media on Saturday. Each shows a helicopter flying next to a swimming pool, while the artist claps, salutes and pumps his fist in the air. One of the posts featured Kid Rock disparaging Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California who has frequently criticized Trump.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump suggested that perhaps the crew shouldn’t have done what they did, adding: “I love Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to defend him. I don’t know.”
In the videos, Kid Rock stands next to a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a sign reading South White House by the pool. His house on a hill overlooking Nashville was built to resemble the White House.
Maj. Jonathon Bless, 101st Airborne Division public affairs officer, said the helicopters were on a training mission when they stopped near Kid Rock’s home. Helicopters also flew over the No Kings protest against Trump in downtown Nashville, but Bless said their presence had nothing to do with the protest.
Kid Rock said he thought it was “really cool” that they stopped to stop at his house.
“If this makes their day a little brighter in terms of their service to our country and protecting us, I think that’s a great thing,” he said.
When asked about possible repercussions for the crew, he said: “I think they will be fine. My friend is the commander in chief.”
