Hegseth calls for reversal after South Carolina Apache pilots grounded

Eight South Carolina National Guard Apache helicopter pilots were pulled from flying duties after a July 4 flyover over crowded beaches triggered a safety review, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly pushed for the suspension to be reversed. The Guard said the pilots were not being punished, describing the step as routine and noting that all eight remained in good standing and continued daily duty while the review was conducted.

The backlash intensified as videos of the low-flying helicopters spread online, showing the aircraft over popular stretches of South Carolina coastline. The flyover was part of Salute From the Shore, an annual Independence Day event that passed over beaches in Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Hilton Head. Organizers said the 2026 formation included F-16s, a C-17 and Apache helicopters from South Carolina National Guard units, and the event was tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence.

Hegseth made his position plain as the controversy grew, posting, “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell later said the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots was lifted effective immediately. That reversal ended the temporary grounding of the eight pilots, who had been under review after the flyover.

The episode put military chain-of-command norms under the spotlight, because a defense secretary publicly entered a disciplinary process that the Guard had framed as standard safety procedure. State leaders, community members and Republican lawmakers had pressed for the pilots to be returned to flying status, but the intervention also raised broader questions about how much political pressure should shape routine accountability inside the armed services.

It was the second time in five months that Hegseth had inserted himself into an Army flight safety review. In March 2026, he also moved to override discipline in a separate Apache helicopter case near conservative influencer Kid Rock’s Tennessee home.