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Hegseth delivers verdict on military helicopter pilots' flyover at Kid Rock's mansion
Oliver Contreras/AFP/Getty Images

Hegseth delivers verdict on military helicopter pilots' flyover at Kid Rock's mansion

The pilots were suspended pending an investigation into the events of Kid Rock's social media post.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has weighed in after Kid Rock received some special visitors at his Tennessee mansion overlooking Nashville over the weekend. The video Rock posted, which garnered millions of views on social media, sparked mixed reactions from supporters and detractors as well as the president himself.

Rock's video showed him standing outside by his pool clapping and saluting as an AH-64 Apache helicopter hovered near the residence. A second helicopter can momentarily be seen flying in the background of the video as well.

'Carry on, patriots.'

In a statement to Blaze News Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Army spokesman Maj. Montrell Russell reported that the pilots were suspended pending the investigation:

The Army has confirmed that on March 28, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention. This incident is now under an Army Regulation 15-6 administrative investigation. The personnel involved have been suspended from flight duties while the Army reviews the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements.

However, Sec. Hegseth responded to Rock's X post, reversing the threat of investigation as well as the pilots' brief suspension.

RELATED: Kid Rock catches heat for viral Apache helicopter social media video — Army launches investigation

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"Thank you @KidRock. @USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots," Hegseth wrote.

President Trump, speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, seemed unsure whether the pilots should have done the flyover, the Daily Mail reported. He added, however, "I like Kid Rock, maybe they were trying to defend him, I don't know."

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Cooper Williamson

Cooper Williamson

Cooper Williamson is a research assistant at Blaze Media and the profiles editor for Frontier magazine. He is a 2025 Publius Fellow with the Claremont Institute.
@Coawi2001 →