Musician Kid Rock responded to criticism of his recent flights with the , saying his commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces is about boosting morale, not personal perks.
Rock, whose full name is Robert Ritchie, joined the “Will Cain Country” podcast to discuss the “noise” regarding his recent flights with the U.S. military and share the origin of his decades-long journey to support service members.
“It really started with the bombing of the USS Cole,” Rock said. “They were playing my music when that ship got towed out of the harbor and 17 sailors lost their lives. So, we ended up playing a show in Virginia and giving all that money to those families.”
The by al Qaeda suicide bombers in 2000. Rock said his patriotism took a new form after meeting those sailors.
“That really started just a whole ‘nother level of not just patriotism, but really doing my part to try and help out and go wherever the military called,” he said.
Rock described his of the “toughest work” hes ever done, but also the “most rewarding.”
Last month, the artist faced criticism after he joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for a helicopter flight in Washington, D.C. The flight came after the U.S. Army at Rocks Nashville home in March.
While some media outlets and social media users questioned whether for celebrity flights, Rock dismissed the criticism as “just noise,” noting he has visited bases and flown in military aircraft for over 20 years.
“You do stuff for the military, and they want to showcase to you what they do. So, whether they’re showing you their or letting you shoot a gun or participate in something, you know, that’s kind of what you do,” he said.
“I don’t need to sit here and prove what I’ve done.”
Rock said the purpose of his recent trip with Hegseth was to film content for Memorial Day and the celebration. He also used the opportunity to announce that his “Freedom 250” tour will give away 250 free tickets per show to veterans and their families.
In a post on X, Secretary Hegseth defended the partnership, calling Rock a “patriot” and a “huge supporter of our troops.”
