Kid Rock flies in Army helicopter : NPR

Key Points:

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and entertainer Kid Rock flew in Army Apache helicopters at a Virginia base as part of a White House-led community relations event called Freedom 250, marking America's 250th anniversary.
• The flights come weeks after Army Apache helicopters flew near Kid Rock's Tennessee home and over a protest in Nashville, prompting an investigation that was shut down by Hegseth.
• The military stated the flights support troop engagement and training requirements, though critics, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Jason Crow, questioned the use of taxpayer funds for such flights.
• Kid Rock participated in troop interactions and filmed videos for Memorial Day and Freedom 250 during his visit, with his jet traveling between Nashville and Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
• The Apache helicopter flights are costly, estimated at about $7,000 per hour, and while both Hegseth and Kid Rock flew in Apaches, they were not on the same aircraft simultaneously.