Overview
- Kid Rock and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew short loops over Fort Belvoir on Monday in AH-64 Apache helicopters, a flight Hegseth later confirmed in a photo post on X.
- The Pentagon said the helicopters supported a Freedom 250 commemorative event, with the musician meeting service members and taping messages for upcoming observances.
- Democrats including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Rep. Jason Crow questioned using taxpayer-funded combat aircraft for a celebrity ride and pressed for the price tag.
- Multiple reports said some aircraft flew with only one pilot so a civilian could sit in the gunner’s seat, a setup that normally requires a high-level waiver.
- The flight followed a March episode near the musician’s property that led to pilot suspensions the secretary later canceled, sharpening concerns over oversight.