Eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots returned to flying duties Friday after the Pentagon lifted their suspension, which had followed a low-altitude flyover at a July Fourth beach celebration that drew widespread applause from beachgoers and swift criticism from state officials.
The pilots had been suspended earlier in the week following their participation in the Salute from the Shore, an annual Independence Day event that features military aircraft flying along South Carolina’s 187-mile coastline. Videos of the Apache helicopters flying at low altitude over crowded beaches circulated widely on social media, sparking a safety review by the South Carolina National Guard.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the decision Friday morning, posting on social media: “Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted. Carry on Patriots.”
The eight pilots, assigned to Alpha Company of the South Carolina Army National Guard at the 1-151st Attack Battalion based at McEntire Joint National Guard Base outside Columbia, were notified of their suspension immediately upon landing on July Fourth. A source close to one of the pilots told local media that the crews received notification of the suspension without being given any specific reasons for the action.
The Salute from the Shore event has been a South Carolina tradition since 2010, designed to honor servicemembers and spark patriotism among thousands of beachgoers gathered for the holiday. This year’s celebration marked the first time Apache helicopters participated in the annual flyover, joining F-16 fighters, a C-17 transport aircraft, and civilian-owned vintage planes.
Before the event, Captain Kyle Wise, a senior pilot instructor with the South Carolina Army National Guard, expressed enthusiasm about the participation. “You can’t beat it, especially for America’s 250th birthday,” Wise said. “Those beaches are going to be packed. We’re hoping, pending a few different variables, to stay safe, but we’re open to giving them a show and trying to get as low as feasibly possible.”
The suspension sparked immediate outcry from South Carolina officials. Representative Russell Fry, whose district includes the Myrtle Beach area, called on the National Guard to drop the review and restore the pilots immediately. “Millions of Americans applauded the incredible display during Salute to the Shore flyover while expressing complete admiration for them and appreciation for our country and military,” Fry said. “These pilots should be celebrated, not sanctioned.”
State Representative Tim McGinnis also criticized the suspensions, describing them as “ridiculous” and stating that the pilots “were doing great work on the Fourth of July, giving everybody a great show and helping boost patriotism.”
Governor Henry McMaster, who serves as commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard, similarly defended the pilots. “The men and women who pilot the world’s most sophisticated aircraft are trusted to do so around the globe in times of imminent danger and peril,” McMaster wrote Friday morning. “Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighed in Thursday night, posting on social media: “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.” Hegseth’s statement echoed a similar intervention he made in March when he lifted the suspension of Army Apache pilots after they flew near singer Kid Rock’s Tennessee home, announcing at that time: “No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”
The National Guard had characterized the suspension as a “routine, non-punitive safety measure” and stated that the pilots remained in good standing while continuing to perform non-flying duties. The Guard had initiated a review of the flight profile due to online images showing the Apaches flying at what appeared to be low altitude over crowded beaches. However, officials declined to provide details about the investigation, citing standard military policy and the need to protect the integrity of the ongoing review.
Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, helicopters are permitted to fly lower than the 500-foot minimum altitude required for fixed-wing aircraft over open water. Captain Wise stated that his crew had reviewed their safety checklist prior to the flyover to ensure they met all standards and were operating as trained.
A source with knowledge of one pilot’s situation told local media that whoever submitted the complaint or concern did not provide a reason for doing so. “There weren’t any details — no specific reason why they were being investigated, just that they were under investigation,” the source said.
The decision to lift the suspension came after less than 48 hours of the pilots being grounded and marked another instance of high-level Pentagon intervention in what would typically be a matter handled through normal military command channels and investigative procedures.