- Pete Hegseth, as Secretary of Defense, has pardoned military aviators for unsafe flight violations, signaling that showboating overrides safety rules.
- Multiple incidents, including Blue Angels and Apache helicopter stunts, were cleared by Hegseth and the Pentagon, overriding disciplinary actions and investigations.
- Author, a former military aviator, argues that such behavior destroys morale and increases risks of fatal crashes, citing past tragedies where daredevil stunts caused deaths.
- Aviation safety rules are established from past fatalities; Hegseth's message undermines decades of learning and endangers both pilots and the public.
- The Pentagon should have allowed investigations to proceed impartially rather than intervening prematurely to dismiss disciplinary actions.