Flight suspensions against eight South Carolina Army National Guard Apache helicopter pilots were lifted on Friday, after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had said he would fix the issue.
The AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots were temporarily suspended from flight duties following a flyover across the coast of South Carolina as part of the Salute From the Shore event on July 4. The suspension of the pilots was met with pushback from state lawmakers.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, confirmed on Friday that the eight South Carolina Army National Guard helicopter pilots involved in the event were no longer suspended from flight duties.
“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” he wrote in a July 10 post on X.
Parnell’s statement came after Hegseth announced on July 9 that the War Department would resolve the suspension issue.
“We’ll fix this,” he wrote on X.
A video from the Salute From the Shore event showed four Apache helicopters flying low over the shoreline as people stood and swam along the coast on July 4.
The South Carolina National Guard released a social media post on July 9 confirming the temporary flight suspension of the Apache helicopter pilots who participated in the Salute From Shore event pending a review of the pilots’ performance. It also acknowledged public feedback and concerns regarding the pilots’ flight suspension.
“To clarify, the temporary flight suspension for our Apache pilots is a routine, non-punitive safety measure—not a disciplinary action,” the South Carolina National Guard said.
It added that the pilots remained in good standing and were continuing daily ground duties.
Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) posted a letter on X, addressed to Maj. Gen. Robin Stilwell of the South Carolina National Guard, on July 9, calling on the National Guard to lift the flight suspension of the helicopter pilots. He said the suspension came after a “frivolous complaint” was filed against the pilots and described the suspension as a “misguided decision and misuse of resources.”
“I am concerned that an extended suspension from flight status could unnecessarily disrupt critical training and readiness at a time when our military must remain fully prepared to deter and respond to threats facing our Nation,” Fry said.
Gov. Henry McMaster also released a statement on social media in support of the helicopter pilots prior to Parnell’s announcement on Friday.
“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,” he said. “Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina—and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary.”
Following Friday’s announcement, Fry thanked Hegseth and Parnell for intervening in the situation and lifting the suspension of the pilots. Fry said the helicopter pilots are American heroes and that South Carolina residents want them to “be treated as such.”
