‘A disgrace’: US veterans outraged after Hegseth clears pilots in Kid Rock flyby

The Pentagon abrupbtly ended its investigation into two Apache helicopter crews that hovered around MAGA musician Kid Rock’s home last weekend, prompting criticism from some U.S. military veterans.
The U.S. Army suspended the aircrew involved in last Saturday’s viral flyby of Kid Rock’s Tennessee residence on Tuesday, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lifted the suspension within hours and announced there would be no punishment.
“Thank you, Kid Rock. Carry on, patriots,” Hegseth wrote in a social media post.
The controversy emerged on March 28, when Kid Rock, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, posted a video on X showing an Apache helicopter hovering outside his home in Nashville, Tennessee.
“God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her,” he wrote in the post, which also included a profanity-laden criticism of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The post has garnered over 17 million views on X.
Prior to Hegseth’s announcement, an Army spokesperson had said the crews of two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell were suspended from flying pending an investigation into whether their actions complied with FAA regulations and aviation safety protocols.
“The Army takes allegations of unauthorized or unsafe flight operations very seriously,” the spokesperson said in a statement to the Associated Press — sent roughly three hours before Hegseth lifted the suspension.
Hegseth’s decision sparked outcry from some veterans and military experts who believed the investigation was stopped due to Kid Rock’s warm relationship with the Trump administration.
Paul Rieckhoff, a U.S. Army veteran who founded the non-profit group Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America in 2004, accused Hegseth of politicizing the military.
“No accountability for doing whatever you want with an attack helicopter that belongs to the US government,” Rieckhoff posted on X. “As long as it aligns with the extreme and partisan politics of Trump and Hegseth.”
“The dangerous politicization of our military continues to expand,” he added.
Travis Akers, a retired U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer, panned Hegseth as “a disgrace” in a post on X.
Morris “Moe” Davis, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, said that Hegseth’s decision represented a “total lack of discipline” and “total breakdown in leadership.”
Reuters Pentagon reporter Idrees Ali said that Hegseth’s approval of the Apache flyby went against the idea that the U.S. military is “supposed to be apolitical, loyal to the ‌U.S. ⁠Constitution and independent of any party or political movement.