Kid Rock flies in Army helicopter weeks after flights near his house drew scrutiny

National Kid Rock flies in Army helicopter weeks after flights near his house drew scrutiny April 28, 20263:56 AM ET By The Associated Press Kid Rock comes on stage to speak and introduce Vice President JD Vance during a visit to Fort Campbell, Ky., Nov. 26, 2025. John Amis/AP hide caption toggle caption John Amis/AP WASHINGTON — Kid Rock and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both flew in Army Apache attack helicopters at a base in Virginia on Monday, weeks after military pilots drew scrutiny for hovering near the entertainer's Tennessee home. National Here's what happened at Kid Rock's alternative halftime show On social media Monday night, Hegseth posted photos of himself and Kid Rock at the base. "Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops," Hegseth wrote. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's top spokesman, said the flights supported a "community relations event" for a White House-led initiative, called Freedom 250, that is coordinating events for America's 250th anniversary commemoration. "Robert 'Kid Rock' Ritchie participated in multiple troop touches with service members and filmed videos for Memorial Day, America's 250th birthday, and for his Freedom 250 tour," Parnell said in a statement. Sponsor Message Army aviators in March flew the same type of helicopters near the home of the musician, who is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. The helicopters also flew over a "No Kings" protest against the Trump administration in Nashville, prompting questions about flight safety and whether either maneuver was authorized. The Army initially said it would investigate the March flights, which involved crews from the 101st Airborne Division at nearby Fort Campbell, and suspended the pilots involved. However, Hegseth quickly intervened and shut down the inquiry. Army officials said at the time that the helicopters were on a training mission when they stopped by Kid Rock's house and that their presence had nothing to do with the protest. Kid Rock's jet left Nashville early Monday and landed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia at 6:30 a.m., according to open source flight data. Shortly after 1 p.m., a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache took off, did a few loops over the base and landed about 10 minutes later, according to the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a group of open source data analysts who track military flight activity across the world. That same helicopter was part of a group of four Apaches, as well as two H-60 Blackhawk helicopters, that had arrived at the base Saturday from Fort Campbell, which sits on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Sponsor Message Drop Site News was first to report Monday's flights in Virginia. An Army Apache helicopter costs about $7,000 per hour to fly, said an Army official who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not authorized for public release. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office took to social media to criticize the flights, saying, "Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?" Newsom is a sharp critic of the Trump administration and is seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger, posted on social media, "Why is Pete Hegseth spending your taxpayer dollars to give Kid Rock 'joy rides' on Apache helicopters?" When asked about the costs associated with public events like flying celebrities or military flyovers, military officials typically argue that they help fulfill regular training…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at NPR Topics: News.