Female Pilot in Crash Trump Blamed on DEI Was Top 20% Army Cadet
‘A COLOSSAL LOSS’
Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach died when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting collided with an American Airlines jet.
Jennifer M. Wood
Updated Feb. 2 2025 9:43AM EST
Published Feb. 2 2025 12:00AM EST
The Daily Beast/Getty Images/Samantha Brown
The brilliant Army career of the female helicopter pilot killed in the Washington D.C. plane crash—which Donald Trump blamed on “DEI”—has been revealed.
Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, a native of Durham, North Carolina, was identified late Saturday by the U.S. Army’s Public Affairs office despite a previous request from her family to withhold her identity.
She had been in the top 20 per cent of Army ROTC cadets nationwide and picked for a prestigious role as a White House social aide. Her awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Her distinguished career was at apparent odds with President Donald Trump suggesting that DEI hiring practices could have been to blame for the mid-air collision. He was backed up by his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had railed against “women in combat roles” before a sudden conversion to praising their service ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing.
Her family said in a statement that she had planned to pursue a career as a physician. Both her parents are doctors.
Lobach, who began her career as an aviation officer with the Army in July 2019, was one of the 67 people who died earlier this week when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting collided with an American Airlines jet coming in to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, causing both aircraft to plummet into the Potomac River.
Despite an earlier request for anonymity, the Army reported that they were sharing Lobach’s name “at the request of and in coordination with the family,” who also provided an official statement. It read, in part: “Rebecca began her career in the United States Army as a distinguished military graduate in ROTC at the University of North Carolina, and was in the top 20 percent of cadets nationwide.
“She achieved the rank of Captain, having twice served as a Platoon Leader and as a Company Executive Officer… With more than 450 hours of flight time, she earned certification as a pilot-in-command after extensive testing by the most senior and experienced pilots in her battalion.”
Lobach also served as a White House social aide during the Biden administration.
The Army released a photo showing Lobach taking part in a physical challenge.
U.S. Army
Military news site Task & Purpose spoke with several of Lobach’s friends and colleagues, who described her as a uniquely talented pilot.
“She was passionate about leadership, passionate about mentorship, and passionate about being a master of her skill craft,” 2nd Lt. Lexi Freas said. “Everything she did, she put 100 percent of her heart and effort into. No task was too big or too little for her to handle for her soldiers and the people that she mentored and loved.”
“It just rips my heart out that she is gone, violently and publicly,” 1st Lt. Samantha Brown said. “It is a colossal loss of human life. My heart goes to everyone impacted. It is absolutely terrible.”
When it was later discovered that one of the helicopter pilots was female, MAGA activists and online agitators began pointing the finger specifically in Lobach’s direction—even before she was identified, and even though the investigation is ongoing and no official cause has been determined.
The president has made no public comment since Lobach’s name was released.
The other two members of the helicopter crew had been named by the Army as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland and Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, was one of the three tragic helicopter crew.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, was one of the three tragic helicopter crew.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/female-pi ... 0-of-army/
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