Kid Rock sat shotgun in an Apache military helicopter for a ride around the Washington, D.C,. area on Monday (April 27). U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was also along for the ride.
According to a post from Hegseth on X, the ride was a celebration of America’s upcoming 250th birthday celebration this Independence Day (July 4).
“Kid Rock is a patriot and a huge supporter of our troops,” Hegseth tweeted. “The War Department is wasting no time celebrating America’s 250th — home of the free because of the brave.”
See Photos of Kid Rock’s Military Helicopter Ride With U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
Hegseth shared photos of the moment, including a group shot outside the chopper as well as a few pictures of Kid Rock addressing military service members.
Why Was Kid Rock On a Military Helicopter With U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth?
According to TMZ, cameras were capturing footage that will be used for Memorial Day events and Independence Day festivities.
The publication also reports that pictures or video of the flight will be used during Kid Rock’s upcoming Freedom 250 Tour, which kicks off this Friday (May 1) in Dallas, Texas, and continues through mid-June.
How Is Kid Rock Honoring Military Service Members + Veterans on His Upcoming Freedom 250 Tour?
TMZ also reports that Rock will offer a limited number of free tickets for military service members and veterans on the Freedom 250 Tour.
“At each stop along his [upcoming] tour, Kid Rock has generously pledged 1,000 free tickets for members of the military and veterans,” a spokesperson for the Pentagon told the outlet.
READ MORE: Kid Rock Announces Freedom 250 Tour Dates
Taste of Country was unable to immediately find further details about that free ticketing opportunity for military personnel on Kid Rock’s website, social media or ticketing links.
It’s unclear if service members and veterans should seek free tickets via a third-party organization like VetTix or if those tickets will be distributed in some other manner closer to show time.
READ MORE: Kid Rock’s Festival Drops Ticket Prices — But Some Fans Are Mad
The singer’s Rock the Country Festival did announce a military discount via a Facebook post back in January of 2026.
Kid Rock Faced Controversy Over Another Interaction With a Military Helicopter
About a month ago, Kid Rock faced some fan backlash after posting a video of himself saluting a military helicopter as it flew by and hovered outside his home.
Read More: Kid Rock Salutes Military Helicopter, Draws Fan Backlash
The Army briefly suspended the flight crew and investigated the incident after some raised concerns that the fly-by was taking away from valuable taxpayer resources, but the investigation quickly closed with no recourse against any involved parties.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
