Kid Rock flew to Fort Belvoir, Va., on Monday and took part in Army Apache helicopter flights alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Pentagon officials and flight tracking data. The Pentagon defends the flight.
The visit comes weeks after Army aviators drew scrutiny for flying similar helicopters near Kid Rock’s Tennessee home and over a protest in Nashville, prompting questions about safety, authorization and U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the flights were part of a “Freedom 250” community relations event in the National Capital Region, tied to events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“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 said in a statement to Military.com. “The visit provided an opportunity for Kid Rock to thank service members…and recognize their continued sacrifice.”
Hegseth shared photos from the visit on social media, writing that Kid Rock is “a patriot and huge supporter of our troops.” One image showed the musician speaking to a small group of service members inside the Pentagon’s press briefing room.
Open-source flight data shows Kid Rock’s private jet departed Nashville early Monday and landed at Fort Belvoir at approximately 6:30 a.m. Later in the day, an AH-64 Apache helicopter conducted a short flight over the base, circling before landing roughly 10 minutes after takeoff, according to the Military Air Tracking Alliance.
According to flight data, Kid Rock’s jet departed Fort Belvoir later Monday and landed back in Nashville shortly after 3 p.m.
The aircraft was part of a group of four Apache helicopters and two UH-60 Black Hawks that arrived at Fort Belvoir over the weekend from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The installation does not typically host Apache units, which are assigned to combat aviation brigades at other Army posts.
The AH-64 Apache is a two-seat attack helicopter crewed by a pilot and a co-pilot or gunner, both trained to fly. A passenger occupies one of those seats, meaning multiple riders would typically be split across separate aircraft rather than flying together.
An Army official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details, said the cost to operate an Apache is about $7,000 per hour. Military officials have said in past cases that flights tied to public events can still serve as training for pilots and may not represent additional cost beyond routine operations.
Reaction to the Flight
The flights quickly drew criticism from some political figures.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom questioned the use of military aircraft on social media.
“Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?” Newsom wrote on X.
Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado and former Army Ranger, asked why taxpayer-funded helicopters were being used to give what he described as “joy rides.”
The Fort Belvoir visit follows a March incident involving Army helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell. Those aircraft flew near Kid Rock’s home and over a “No Kings” protest in Nashville.
The Army initially opened an investigation and suspended the pilots involved, but Hegseth later intervened and halted the inquiry.
Army officials said at the time the helicopters were on a training mission and that their presence near the musician’s home was unrelated to the protest.
