COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Eight helicopter pilots from the South Carolina National Guard have been reinstated to their flying positions after being temporarily grounded. Their suspension arose from a low-altitude display during a July 4 event held to honor servicemembers.
“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” announced Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on social media Friday morning. “Carry on Patriots.”
The suspension followed the “Salute from the Shore,” a popular Independence Day celebration in South Carolina that has been held annually since 2010. The event features a procession of both historical and contemporary military aircraft flying along the 187-mile coastline, aiming to stir patriotic feelings among the thousands of beachgoers present.
This year’s lineup included F-16 jets from the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing, based at McEntire Joint Base, along with a C-17 aircraft from the 437th Airlift Wing stationed at Joint Base Charleston. Notably, Apache helicopters joined the aerial festivities for the very first time, alongside civilian-owned vintage planes like the T-34s and T-6s.
Many spectators routinely share videos of the event on social media, but this year, footage depicting Apaches flying conspicuously low over densely populated beaches raised safety concerns. This prompted the South Carolina National Guard to initiate a review and temporarily suspend the eight pilots. They later clarified that the suspension was a standard safety precaution and not a punitive measure.
Late Thursday night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted on social media that the Pentagon was getting involved, writing, “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.”
South Carolina Republicans rebuked the suspension, too. 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 post noting the suspension had been lifted, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster — who serves as commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard — said Friday he trusted the pilots’ acumen, writing in a social media post that Guardsmen fly in wartime.
“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.
Officials with McMaster’s office and South Carolina National Guard did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Friday, including whether McMaster — a longtime ally of President Donald Trump — had directly intervened. The Pentagon declined to comment beyond Parnell’s statement.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at