Apache Helicopters Flew Over Kid Rock's House After No Kings Protest And Pete Hegseth Says 'Carry On'

By Ryan Erik King
An AH-64 Apache helicopter hovering near Kid Rock at his Nashville mansion @KidRock / X

A pair of military attack helicopters overflew an anti-authoritarian protest in Nashville on Sunday, not exactly the sign of a healthy democracy. Things swerved further into the surreal when those same tank-killing choppers stopped to greet a gleeful washed-up musician at his gaudy hilltop mansion. After a video of Kid Rock saluting a pair of AH-64 Apache helicopters on Saturday went viral on social media, the U.S. Army identified and suspended the aircrew involved in the training flight incident. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lifted the suspension and shut down the investigation on Tuesday.

The Army is conducting an internal investigation regarding the crew members' adherence to service regulations and airspace requirements. Major Jonathon Bless, a 101st Airborne Division spokesman, told the New York Times that the training flight being scheduled for the same day as the No Kings Rally was "entirely coincidental." Unsurprisingly, people attending the rally felt that the Apaches' maneuvers in the skies around them were targeted intimidation. Trump superfan Kid Rock didn't appear intimidated when the Apache helicopters visited his "Southern White House." I would've been terrified to see an attack helicopter hovering so close that I could make eye contact with the pilots.

Practice makes perfect, and there's still room for improvement

A helicopter flyover before the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 14, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. Silas Walker/Getty Images

This isn't the first time that Apaches from the 101st Airborne have gotten into hot water for how they fly around Nashville. Four helicopters from the division performed a flyover at Nissan Stadium before a 2021 NFL regular-season game between the Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints. The choppers flew over the football field, but at eye level with the fans sitting in the upper deck. The concerning display prompted investigations by both the Army and the FAA.

The scheduling of Saturday's training flight might have been a coincidence, but the actions of the pilots once they climbed into the cockpit weren't. The Combat Aviation Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division isn't the most professional unit, given its recent history. Beyond the Titans flyover, an Army investigation found that senior brigade battalion officers had gone on a drunken, debaucherous adventure to an off-limits strip club in Gdansk, Poland. The report noted many issues within the unit, including "perceived preferential treatment for pilots over other personnel."

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