At this point, Kid Rock might just be a big fan of helicopters.
The “All Summer Long” singer will soon embark on his Freedom 250 Tour, which kicks off May 1 and runs… well, all summer long. Though he’s probably prepping for that run of shows, Bob Ritchie (A.K.A. Kid Rock) apparently had some extra time today to travel to Virginia from Nashville, Tennessee to hitch a ride on an Apache helicopter.
The country artist started trending on social media today when there were rumblings that he traveled to Fort Belvoir on a private jet. Ryan Grim, a reporter for Drop Site News, shared this post earlier today, saying:
“Kid Rock flew to Fort Belvoir this morning on his private jet and took a little joy ride on 2 Apache helicopters with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to multiple Army sources, and backed up by flight data. Apaches typically have 2 pilots, but they went up with one so the boys could each ride shotgun, I’m told. Apache helicopters are not stationed at Ft. Belvoir so unclear where they came from. A spokesperson at the base referred questions to the secretary’s office.”
TMZ later confirmed that Kid Rock did fly around the Washington D.C. area in an Apache helicopter, and that there were two choppers in the air.
According to their sources, Kid Rock sat in the gunner’s seat of the aircraft, and the ride was a part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Cameras were apparently rolling for Memorial Day, the July 4th event, and Kid Rock’s Freedom 250 tour. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, was reportedly in the other Apache helicopter and was sitting shotgun as well.
So if you were in the Washington D.C. area today and saw some Apache helicopters buzzing around, there’s a really good chance you witnessed Kid Rock and the Secretary of War taking in the sights of our nation’s capital from above. Pete Hegseth took to X later in the day to confirm that he and Kid Rock went for rides with the U.S. Army:
“Joined my friend Kid Rock – and some of our U.S. Army Apache pilots – for a ride this morning. (More to come on that!) Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops. The War Department is wasting no time celebrating America’s 250th – home of the free because of the brave.”
This comes just a month or so after Kid Rock made headlines when a pair of Army helicopters flew by his Nashville-area home after taking off from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The “Bawitdaba” singer actually shared a video of the encounter to his social media accounts along with this 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. Regardless, it did lead to a brief suspension of the crew. And I should reiterate that it was very brief, because on the same day the Army suspended the crew that did the flyby, Pete Hegseth announced that the suspension was lifted and that they’d face no punishment.
Now, a month later, Kid Rock and Hegseth were flying around in Apache helicopters in Washington D.C. to reportedly celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Like I said earlier… maybe Bob Ritchie is just a helicopter enthusiast?
