Just making sure he was safe.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the suspensions have been lifted for the U.S. Army helicopter crew involved in the now-viral fly by of Kid Rock‘s Nashville home by two Apache helicopters over the weekend – even though President Donald Trump admits they probably shouldn’t have done it.
The “All Summer Long” singer shared a video of the encounter to his social media accounts along with a comment that took a jab at California governor Gavin Newsom:
“This is a level of respect that s–t for brains Governor of California will never know. God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.”
There were plenty of reactions to the salute, from those applauding the patriotic moment to many who were upset at the display and called it a waste of taxpayer dollars.
The circumstances of the fly-by weren’t immediately clear, though as Military.com reports:
“[M]ilitary aircraft flights are typically conducted as part of routine training operations, not personal requests. Those missions are funded through readiness budgets and often take place over civilian areas, even when they appear unusual in isolation.”
Kid Rock, for his part, said that his replica White House in the Nashville suburbs sits on a flight path connected to nearby Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and that it’s not unusual for him to see military aircraft by his house:
“They circled back around and came out right over here, and I just gave them a salute, kind of a thank you, and man, it was a level of respect that I got that no award or record sales could do.”
But the Army confirmed earlier today that the crew involved had been suspended pending an 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.
Since the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to discuss specific findings at this time. The Army takes any allegations of unauthorized or unsafe flight operations very seriously and is committed to enforcing standards and holding personnel accountable.”
(There was also concerns that the flyover happened during this past Saturday’s “No Kings” protests in Nashville, though officials confirmed that was merely coincidental).
But the suspension didn’t last long: This afternoon, Pete Hegseth confirmed that there would be no further punishment or investigation and that the suspensions had been lifted:
President Donald Trump also addressed the incident this afternoon when he was asked about the military performing a fly-by of his friend’s house in Apache helicopters.
Trump said while he hadn’t seen the video, he admitted that it probably wasn’t the best decision by the pilots:
“I didn’t see it, but I’m sure they had a good time. …
They probably shouldn’t have been doing it, yes, you’re not supposed to be playing games, right? But I’d take a look at it. They like Kid Rock, I like Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to defend him, I don’t know.”
When asked about the investigation by local news station WKRN, Kid Rock said that he had previously interacted with the pilots involved and invited them to fly by the Southern White House:
“I was there last Thanksgiving with JD Vance, and I’ve talked to some of these pilots, and I told them, ‘You guys see me waving when you come by the house, you guys are always welcome to cruise by my house like any time.’”
He also suspected that everything would work out for the pilots:
“I think they’re going to be alright — my buddy is the Commander in Chief.”
Guess he was right.
If you’re not familiar with Kid Rock’s replica White House, the 27,000-square foot, two bedroom home sits on a hill overlooking Nashville and features a golden elevator in the middle of the house, as well as golden showers in the bathroom.
Can’t really blame the pilots for wanting to see that.
