Pentagon chief’s remarks come after US army said crews suspended amid investigation into incident in TennesseeThe GuardianTue 31 Mar 2026Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two US army AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to the singer Kid Rock’s swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday are no longer suspended.“No punishment. No investigation,” Hegseth wrote on social media. “Carry on, patriots.”Hegseth’s announcement came just hours after a US army spokesperson said the crews had been suspended from flying pending a investigation.“The army has confirmed that on 28 March, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention,” according to a statement from the army on Tuesday.The army said it was reviewing “the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements”.
I never been in the military but in work you never by-pass the chain-command. So I asked ChatGPT why this was wrong.
Why people say “this doesn’t seem right”
You’re picking up on a real issue. Critics are raising a few concerns:
1. Chain of command / discipline
- Normally, local commanders investigate and enforce standards
- A top-level political appointee stepping in early can be seen as undermining that process
2. Appearance of favoritism
- The flyby involved Kid Rock, a high-profile political ally of the administration
- That raises questions about whether rules are applied equally
3. Military neutrality
- The U.S. military is supposed to stay apolitical
- A flyby tied (even informally) to a political figure or event blurs that line
4. Safety and precedent
- If crews can deviate from missions for unofficial reasons without consequence, that’s a discipline and safety concern
And our Fearless Leader's henchman steps in to quash the investigation!
No comments:
Post a Comment