The United States Army identified the third soldier killed in the doomed black hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines plane over Washington, D.C. as Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach "at the request of and in coordination with" her family in an article shared by Army Public Affairs on Saturday (February 1).

Lobach served as an aviation officer (15A) in the regular Army from July 2019 until her death on January 29, 2025. The Durham, North Carolina, native was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, Ft Belvoir, Va. and had no deployments.

Lobach, who recently escorted fashion designer Ralph Lauren during the Presidential Medal of Freedom presentation, won several awards for her military service including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

The Lobach family issued the following statement shared by the U.S. Army:

We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives. She was kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious and strong. No one dreamed bigger or worked harder to achieve her goals.

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% of cadets nationwide. She achieved the rank of Captain, having twice served as a Platoon Leader and as a Company Executive Officer in the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. 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.

Rebecca was a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle. But she was as graceful as she was fierce: in addition to her duties as an Army aviator, Rebecca was honored to serve as a White House Military Social Aide, volunteering to support the President and First Lady in hosting countless White House events, including ceremonies awarding the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Rebecca cared about people, and she extended to individuals the same fearless defense she gave to this nation. She was proud of the difference she made as a certified Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Victim Advocate and hoped to continue her education so she could serve this country as a physician when her time with the Army ended. She once said, "My experiences with SHARP have reinforced my resolve to serve others with compassion, understanding, and the resources necessary for healing."

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.

We request that you please respect our privacy as we grieve this devastating loss.

The U.S. Army had previously identified two other soldiers aboard the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter as Staff Sgt. Austin O'Hara, 28, of Linburn, Georgia, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. First responders were treating the collision as a rescue mission as officials "don't believe there are any survivors," among the suspected 64 passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 5324 and three soldiers on the Army helicopter, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly said during a news briefing last Thursday (January 30) morning via CBS News.

Bill Cunningham

Bill Cunningham