The Pentagon said the suspension of Apache pilots involved in a beach flyover last week has been lifted after videos of the helicopters flying low over a beach packed with onlookers circulated online and local news reported that the soldiers were subject to an investigation.
In a statement on social media, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said “carry on Patriots,” after announcing that “the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted.”
Late Thursday evening, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots,” in response to a video of the incident posted by a social media user whose caption expressed surprise over the suspension.
The flight was part of a July 4th holiday demonstration called “Salute from the Shore.”
When Military Times reached out to the Army National Guard for additional details on Friday, they deferred to Parnell’s statement.
In a Thursday statement posted to social media, the South Carolina Army National Guard said that the Apache pilots’ suspension was “a routine, non-punitive safety measure – not a disciplinary action,” and that the crew members were in good standing and continued to report for duty.
“In military aviation, temporarily pausing flight duties during an investigation is a standard safety procedure that protects both our aircrews and the public,” the Guard said.
U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-South Carolina, lauded the Pentagon’s statement clearing the pilots, after seemingly blaming onlookers for filming the event. “Breaking: America’s most advanced attack helicopter has one unexpected weakness—A beach Karen with a phone,” he said in a Thursday statement.
The Pentagon’s move comes months after Hegseth seemingly lifted the suspension of pilots filmed hovering near Kid Rock’s Tennessee mansion in April.
The New York Times reported that Hegseth and Kid Rock flew around the Washington D.C., area in an Apache the following month and lawmakers have since failed to get answers into why the earlier suspension was lifted.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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