Capt. Rebecca Lobach has been identified as the third soldier aboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport after it had been initially withheld.
The Army revealed that Lobach of Durham, North Carolina, served as an aviation officer in the Army since July 2019 and had around 500 hours of flying time in the Black Hawk.
Lobach’s family initially wanted nothing to do with letting the public know her name due to unsubstantiated accusations that DEI was a factor in the crash.
According to the Army, the six-year Army member was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Aside from Rebecca Lobach, the Army released the names of the other two soldiers killed in the collision, Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves.
“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. Our hearts break for the other families who have lost loved ones in this national tragedy, and we mourn with them,” her family said in a statement.
Lobach was among the 67 people killed in the Wednesday night crash that saw the helicopter collide with an American Airlines regional jetliner.
The Army also added that Lobach had no deployments but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.
Captain Rebecca Lobach Is Unfairly Being Targeted
One of three soldiers aboard a Black Hawk helicopter that was involved in the deadly midair collision with an American Airlines flight was identified after social media found out it was a woman.
Trolls and critics have unfairly targeted 28-year-old Capt. Rebecca Lobach as a DEI hire who caused one of the worst aircraft collisions in United States history.
In a statement released by the Army, her family described her as a “bright star in all our lives. She was kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious, and strong.”
