As PJ Media previously reported, the U.S. Army made a controversial decision to withhold the name of the female helicopter pilot involved in the recent helicopter/plane accident in Washington, claiming it was at the request of her family. This tragic incident, the deadliest aviation accident in years, claimed the lives of all 67 people on board, and the refusal to name the pilot fueled conspiracy theories.
The army’s stance on withholding the female pilot’s name was never a tenable position, but on Saturday, the army released her name: Capt. Rebecca Lobach.
Army releases name of co-pilot of Blackhawk helicopter: Captain Rebecca Lobach, a star ROTC student who graduated from UNC with top honors and wanted to attend medical school after her Army service. She had 500 hours of flying time, about 250 flights, considered on the high end… pic.twitter.com/NmFtS47vWk
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 1, 2025
.@USARMY releases the name of the third Black Hawk crew member in this week’s devastating collision with the American Airlines Jet: Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina. And a rare, heartbroken statement from her family. pic.twitter.com/cLCu1sW87v
— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) February 1, 2025
The New York Post has more.
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 has 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.
According to CBS News, 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 honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
When she enlisted in the National Guard, she did so as a Simultaneous Membership Program cadet, a program which allows cadets to take part in both the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and the National Guard at the same time.
Lobach also served as a White House social aide during the Biden administration, Brown said. Just last month, she escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House when he was among those awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Joe Biden.
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, who was the chopper's crew chief.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy gave an update on the recent crashes on Saturday.
"We've had a heart-wrenching week in aviation. A couple days ago, I had a chance to sit down with a few of the family members who lost loved ones in the D.C. crash," he said in a video posted to X. "Their pain is unimaginable. I committed transparency to them. When I know information, I'm going to share it with them, but also with the American people. Up in Philadelphia, we've sent a team of FAA investigators in conjunction with the NTSB."
Duffy continued, "We're not going to have answers right away. It's going to take time. But as I get those answers, I'm going to share that with all of you."
"I also had a conversation with Governor Shapiro, letting him know that whatever resources he needs from this department, we are going to partner with him and Philadelphia in whatever they need from the Department of transportation. Back in D.C. yesterday, we restricted the airspace around DCA from helicopter travel, making sure people feel safe as they come in and out of our capital city."
Duffy promised more announcements in the coming days, and stressed he wanst Americans to "feel confident in American air travel."
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