Top Army General Fired After Disagreement Over Kid Rock Helicopter Probe, Report Says—As Vacancies Mount Under Hegseth

Chief Critic

“We’re doing generational damage to the sense that the military is an apolitical trusted organization that swears an oath to the Constitution, not to a president,” Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., told The New York Times of the firings.

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Contra

Hegseth defended LaNeve in a statement to The Washington Post, accusing his critics of being “the same out-of-touch so-called insiders who’ve spent years undermining our military with woke politics and endless wars. They hold deep grudges against any commander willing to put America and our troops first, but their days of influence are over.” Hegseth did not address the reported conversation between LaNeve and George about the March flyover near Kid Rock’s home. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the reporting on the discussion as a “regurgitating” of a “tired, old story simply to manufacturer drama,” he told The Washington Post.

Tangent

Kid Rock, a staunch Trump supporter whose legal name is Robert Ritchie, posted video footage to his social media account of two Apache helicopters hovering at close distance from his hilltop home in Tennessee in March. The Army suspended the two pilots pending a compliance investigation, but Hegseth quickly lifted the suspensions, posting on X, “no punishment. No investigation.”

Key Background

In addition to George, Hegseth has fired or forced out at least six senior officers, leaving the Army with a gap in leadership that could take years to fill, according to The New York Times. The Army has five four-star generals on active duty, down from 10 when Hegseth took office, according to The Times. Some of the generals have been fired or their positions have been eliminated. Hegseth also forced out Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus last year and replaced him with LaNeve, who is serving as both vice chief of staff and acting chief.

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further reading

Army Launches Investigation Into Helicopter Flyby At Kid Rock’s Nashville Home (Forbes)

Pete Hegseth Unsuspends Air Crew That Flew Helicopters By Kid Rock’s Home (Forbes)

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Trump Strongly Denies Feud With Hegseth—Amid Backlash Over Munitions (Forbes)