The flight suspensions for eight Apache helicopter pilots involved in a Fourth of July flyover in South Carolina have been lifted amid pressure from Republicans and the public, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday morning.

Eight Apache helicopter pilots who wowed a crowd of beachgoers during a Fourth of July airshow were suspended by the South Carolina National Guard — a decision that sparked outrage among lawmakers who argued the airmen should be applauded rather than punished.

The two crew members were rescued by a sea drone in the first such operation ever carried out by the U.S. military, officials told CBS News.