More Backlash - Kid Rock's Army Helicopter Flight With Pete Hegseth After Recent Controversy

Kid Rock is once again facing scrutiny concerning a U.S. military helicopter, this time for taking a ride on board an Army Apache attack helicopter at the invite of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The flight took place on Monday (April 27) as the musician was on base in Virginia as part of a community relations event for the White House's "Freedom 250" initiative. It was during this appearance in which Hegseth invited Rock to fly aboard one of the Apache attack helicopters while Hegseth himself boarded a second helicopter.

What Was Said By Pete Hegseth About Kid Rock and the Apache Helicopter Ride

In a post on X, the Defense Secretary proclaimed, "Joined my friend @KidRock — and some of our great @USArmy Apache pilots — for a ride this morning (More to come on that!)."

He continued, "Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops. The War Department is wasting no time celebrating America’s 250th — home of the free because of the brave."

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell added some background to how the experience came about. "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 shared in a statement.

He also elaborated to The Hill, “At each stop along his tour, Kid Rock has generously pledged 1,000 free tickets for members of the military and veterans. The visit today provided an opportunity for Kid Rock to thank service members, highlight the professionalism of the men and women supporting the mission and recognize their continued sacrifice in honor of our nation. The Department is grateful for Kid Rock’s long time support of our troops.”

Rock reportedly left his Nashville home early Monday to fly to Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Per The Associated Press and the Military Air Tracking Alliance, shortly after 1PM., a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache took off, did a few loops over the base and landed about 10 minutes later.

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.

What Concerns Did Kid Rock's Army Apache Flight Raise?

Following Hegseth's post that he and Kid Rock had taken out Army Apache helicopters for a ride, there was some pushback over the move.

California governor Gavin Newsom responded to a post about Kid Rock's ride aboard the Apache helicopter on X, asking, "Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?

Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger, offered a similar sentiment, "Why is Pete Hegseth spending your taxpayer dollars to give Kid Rock 'joy rides' on Apache helicopters?"

One person even asked X's AI assistant Grok for a specific breakdown of the security risks allowing Rock to fly on board one of the helicopters.

The response back read: "AR 95-1 (Flight Regulations) and DoDI 4515.13 (updating prior DoD 4515.3/4515.13R refs) restrict passengers on Army aircraft to specific authorized categories: official duty, emergencies, approved orientation flights or public affairs per high-level approval. Apaches are combat aircraft, not passenger-configured (tandem crew seats only, min 2-pilot crew per operator manuals). Civilian 'joyride' with one pilot to free a seat violates passenger/crew rules unless waived at general officer level—and Kid Rock (non-DoD, non-official) doesn't qualify under standard eligibility. Security risks: uncleared civilian in cockpit exposes classified avionics, targeting systems and flight controls to potential OPSEC compromise."

According to Billboard, The DoD rules allow for public affairs flights if given “high-level approval.”

Meanwhile, other comments on Hegseth's post also seemed to question the move. One commenter offered, "The funniest part about this is firing anyone competent who criticizes the misuse of military resources during a time of war and a time when taxpayers are having to pay for an apparent diminished security situation that needs to be fixed. Maybe the people in charge are the problem and shouldn’t be allowed to continue wasting money while ignoring the work they’re supposed to be doing."

"We’re at war in the Middle East. You might want to focus on that," added another person.

Others chimed in to share their support of the move. "You have never served in the military. This is called an incentive flight and it is very common. All of you just want to find any reason to bitch," added one commenter. "Such a morale booster for our troops! God Bless America," added another.

What Was the Previous Backlash Concerning Kid Rock + Military Helicopters?

Back in March, Kid Rock faced scrutiny after positing a social media video of an Army Apache attack helicopter hovering outside his Nashville area home he refers to as the "Southern White House."

"This is a level of respect that shit for brains Governor of California will never know," Rock wrote at the time. "God bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her." But while some celebrated the greeting, others started to question how it was allowed to happen in the first place.

READ MORE: Kid Rock Teams With RFK Jr. in Shirtless Healthy Workout Video

"Using our taxpayer dollars that fund the military for social media stunts... nothing weird, right?" one person commented on Instagram.

"Imagine thinking this looks cool instead of ridiculous," reads a response to Rock's video on X. "Military choppers aren't your personal props and our tax money isn't a slush fund for ego boosts."

Soon after the video went viral, the U.S. Army opened an investigation into the fly-by at Rock's residence. The Army then suspended the aircrews responsible for the fly-by. But the suspension was lifted just shortly after Hegseth revealed that there would be no punishment or further investigation into the incident.

Army officials had stated at the time that the helicopters were on a training mission when they stopped by Rock's home.

How Does Kid Rock Tie In to "Freedom 250"?

Not only is Kid Rock backing the Rock the Country tour, he's also participating in the "Freedom 250" tour this summer. The 10-date tour also features Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum, Brantley Gilbert, Big & Rich and Them Dirty Roses on select dates. The trek kicks off May 1 in Dallas. Tickets are available through Kid Rock's website.

See where some of the biggest names in rock and metal will be touring in 2026 in the gallery below.