May 22, 2026

The Kid Rock Flyby Controversy and the Erosion of Military Professionalism

By: Dr. Jason Dempsey

This article was originally published in War on the Rocks.

On March 28, two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell flew near “No Kings” protestors in Nashville before flying to the home of musician Robert “Kid Rock” Ritchie, who has been a consistent and vocal supporter of the Trump administration. Kid Rock took pictures and video of the helicopters hovering near his mansion, which he later posted online along with derogatory comments about the Democratic governor of California.

Adherence to high standards and a willingness to conduct investigations when those standards may have been violated are a feature of the American military and contribute in no small part to the public’s high regard for the institution.

The high-profile nature of helicopters flying near a large public gathering and then hovering near a private residence led to widespread media coverage and raised several concerns, the first of which were safety and the appropriate use of government resources. Even President Donald Trump, when asked about the flight, stated, “Well, they probably shouldn’t have been doing it. Yes, you’re not supposed to be playing games, right?”

Read the full article in War on the Rocks.

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