Eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots are back in the cockpit after the Pentagon stepped in to lift their suspension, which had stemmed from a low-altitude flyover of packed beaches during a Fourth of July military tribute event.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell made the announcement Friday morning via social media, writing, “Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted. Carry on Patriots.”
The controversy centered around “Salute from the Shore,” an annual July 4 tradition in South Carolina that has honored military servicemembers since 2010. The event sends both vintage and modern military aircraft along the full 187-mile stretch of the state’s coastline, aiming to inspire patriotism among the thousands of holiday beachgoers watching from below.
This year’s event featured F-16s from the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing at McEntire Joint Base, along with a C-17 from the 437th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston. Apache helicopters joined the aerial parade for the first time, alongside privately owned vintage aircraft including T-34s and T-6s.
As is typical with the event, attendees shared video footage on social media — but this year, clips of the Apache helicopters appearing to fly at a very low altitude over crowded beaches raised red flags with the South Carolina National Guard. The Guard launched a safety review and temporarily grounded the eight pilots involved. Officials later clarified the suspension was “a routine, non-punitive safety measure, not a disciplinary action.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighed in late Thursday night on social media, signaling the Pentagon’s intention to get involved: “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.”
South Carolina Republican lawmakers also pushed back against the suspension. Rep. Russell Fry, who represents the Myrtle Beach area, said Thursday that the pilots “should be celebrated, not sanctioned.”
Less than two hours before Parnell’s announcement, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster — who holds the title of commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard — posted his own statement on social media expressing confidence in the pilots’ skills and judgment. “Surely, they know how to safely navigate the coast of South Carolina — and her scores of cheering residents and tourists on our 250th anniversary,” McMaster wrote.
Representatives from McMaster’s office and the South Carolina National Guard had not responded to requests for comment by Friday, including questions about whether McMaster — a longtime ally of President Donald Trump — had directly intervened in the matter. The Pentagon said it had nothing further to add beyond Parnell’s statement.
