According to new reporting from The Washington Post, Gen. Randy George was urged to abandon an Army investigation into an unauthorized helicopter flyby over musician Kid Rock’s Tennessee property shortly before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly removed George as Army chief of staff.
The chopper incident happened on March 28, when two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade flew over protests in Tennessee, then headed toward Kid Rock’s estate. The Army then began reviewing the flight to determine whether it violated military rules or safety procedures.
George reportedly believed the military has to follow its normal procedures and determine what happened. But according to three people familiar with the matter, Gen. Chris LaNeve, the Army’s second-highest-ranking officer, told George that Hegseth did not want the investigation to continue.
Two of the sources said George later spoke with colleagues about the encounter and appeared troubled by the suggestion that the review should be dropped. LaNeve is now reportedly favored to succeed George as the Army’s top officer.
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