Rebecca Lobach ID’d as female soldier inside doomed Black Hawk during DC crash
The U.S. Army has identified the female soldier in the doomed Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines flight this week, killing 67 people.
Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and had served since July 2019, the Army said in a statement.
The Army had initially refused to identify Lobach at the request of her family.
The decision to release her name came “at the request of and in coordination with the family,” according to the statement.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives,” her family said in a statement released by the Army.
“Rebecca was a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle … Rebecca was many things. She was a daughter, sister, partner, and friend. She was a servant, a caregiver, an advocate. Most of all she loved and was loved. Her life was short, but she made a difference in the lives of all who knew her.”
Lobach was a decorated service member, whose accolades include the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
According to her family, she graduated within the top 20% of ROTC cadets nationwide.
Lobach also served as a White House social aide during the Biden administration.
Last month, she escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to CBS.
USA Today reporter and Army vet Davis Winkie credited Lobach as instrumental in navigating the “hardest periods” of his personal life during their time together at the University at North Carolina- Chapel Hill Army ROTC.
“I wish we’d taken a photo together when we had lunch a year ago. I wish I’d remembered to invite her to a party I hosted a week ago. I wish she weren’t dead. You are so missed, Rebecca. This world won’t be the same without you,” Winkie said on X.
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The Army captain had more than 450 hours of flight time under her belt at the time of the tragedy — and had earned certification as a pilot-in-command under the guidance of the “most senior and experienced pilots in her battalion,” according to her family.
How the Blackhawk crashed into the American Airliner jet — making for the worst airplane disaster in decades — is still a mystery.
The other two soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter have been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, and Staff. Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia.
The victims of the airliner included multiple members of the global ice skating community, a mom with two young children and a Brooklyn native.
