Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a Tuesday social media post, lifted the Apache crews’ suspensions and said there would be no punishment or probe.
- The Army had grounded the 101st Airborne aircrews for an AR 15-6 fact-finding review into possible breaches of FAA rules, aviation safety standards, and required approvals.
- Videos showed two AH-64 Apache helicopters hovering near Kid Rock’s Nashville estate during a training flight, and the division said their pass over a nearby No Kings protest was coincidental.
- Veterans, former officials, and watchdogs including CREW condemned the override as politicizing the force, and even Newsmax host Greg Kelly criticized the decision as an amateur move.
- It remains unclear whether any Army or inspector general review will follow, raising questions about civilian intervention in routine military discipline and how future commanders enforce standards.