On Monday afternoon, April 27, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Kid Rock (Robert James Ritchie) each flew in an Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the Army base on the outskirts of Washington. Pentagon officials confirmed the flights, first reported by Ryan Grim of Drop Site News. The two men rode in separate helicopters, each in the gunner's seat, and the flight lasted about ten minutes with a few loops over the base. Kid Rock flew his private jet from Nashville to the base that morning and flew back afterward, according to flight-tracking data.
Hegseth posted on X: “Joined my friend Kid Rock — and some of our great U.S. Army Apache pilots — for a ride this morning,” calling the rocker “a patriot.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the helicopters were operating “in support of a Freedom 250th community relations event,” part of the White House-led initiative coordinating the country's 250th-anniversary celebrations, and that Kid Rock “participated in multiple troop touches with service members and filmed videos for Memorial Day, America's 250th birthday, and for his Freedom 250 tour.” Freedom 250 has been reported to offer access to President Trump to donors who give more than $1 million.
The Apache is the U.S. military's primary attack helicopter, typically armed with a 30mm cannon and anti-tank missiles. An Army official told Military.com it costs about $7,000 an hour to operate; military officials have said in past cases that flights tied to public events can double as pilot training and may not add cost. The White House, the Pentagon and Kid Rock's agent did not tell The Independent who paid for the flight. Gov. Gavin Newsom asked, “Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?” and Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger, questioned the use of taxpayer-funded helicopters for what he called “joy rides.”
It was the second Apache episode involving the singer in a month. On March 28, two Apaches from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell flew near Kid Rock's Nashville-area home, in what he called a “gift” and a “tribute,” and also passed over a “No Kings” protest in Nashville. The Army opened an investigation and suspended the personnel involved from flight duties. Hegseth then shut the inquiry down, posting: “Thank you @KidRock. @USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”
Correction (October 2, 2026): The title said Hegseth took Kid Rock for a “joyride” and that the March pilots had “buzzed” the singer's home; it now uses the neutral terms the reporting supports, since the Army described a flight near the home. The entry now also notes the military's position that such flights can count as training, and quotes Hegseth's post lifting the suspensions in full.