Army Releases Name Of 3rd Soldier Who Died In Helicopter And Airliner Crash

[Wicked Blue]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army on Saturday released the name of the third soldier who died Wednesday when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet near Reagan National Airport in D.C.

Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, N.C., served as an Army aviation officer since July 2019. Her awards include an Army commendation medal and an achievement medal.

In a statement released by the Army, her family said she was a distinguished military graduate in ROTC at the University of North Carolina, and was in the top 20% of cadets nationwide. They said she had more than 450 hours of flight time, and earned “certification as a pilot-in-command after extensive testing by the most senior and experienced pilots in her battalion.”

The family also noted that she served as a certified sexual harassment/assault response and prevention victim advocate and hoped to become a physician when she got out of the Army.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dc-helicopter-airliner-crash-army-pilot_n_679ea9c9e4b0c7790360dc8b

[tetedur]

1. Were they not saying her name because of DEI accusations?

If so, that is pathetic.

[Wicked Blue]

2. They were probably trying to protect her from being blamed and persecuted

for being a woman

[William Seger]

3. Well, the voice on the tower recording is the white male pilot

I don't think they've said yet who was flying, but the bigots would be smart to hold fire until we know exactly what happened -- which means they'll keep bloviating about DEI.

[lostnfound]

4. Whether or not she was flying, the trainer would be responsible wouldn't they?

Trainer would be accountable for the trainee

[IronLionZion]

5. CAPT Rebecca Lobach was flying, it shouldn't matter that she's a woman

CWO Andrew Eaves was talking to the tower. SGT Ryan O'Hara was the passenger in the back. All are white, not that it matters for Trump's baseless scapegoating of DEI.

Eaves' family has given news interviews. I think Army kept Lobach's name secret so that MAGAts won't harass her family.

[progree]

8. Oh, they will keep bloviating about DEI, even if the pilot was white male and equipped like Arnold Palmer

Last edited Sun Feb 2, 2025, 12:08 PM - Edit history (1)

and I'm not talking about having a set of golf clubs.

Yesterday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. was bloviating about how they can only fill 70 to 80% of the FAA air traffic control training classes because of DEI and its required ratios, and not because of a lack of qualified applicants, according to him. I'm not giving the link, but if one hunts down the video, that part begins at about the 1:50 point.

And neither he nor Trump at his presser on the D.C. collision mentioned or alluded to race, gender, or LGBTQ.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219967378#post14

Trump blamed former President Joe Biden's administration for encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration to recruit workers “who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.” He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”

So they have a long list to carry on about without mentioning race, gender, or LGBTQ

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219967378#post18

. . . Moreover, the FAA under Trump in 2019 launched a program to hire controllers using the very criteria he decried at his news conference.
The link under “targeted disabilities” is now dead, but the Wayback Machine retains links from June 2017 and January 2021 that show the page was unchanged during Trump’s tenure. The list included:
Hearing (total deafness in both ears)
Vision (Blind)
Missing Extremities
Partial Paralysis
Complete Paralysis, Epilepsy
Severe intellectual disability
Psychiatric disability
Dwarfism

Granted, all of the above is about the FAA and not about the military or regional commercial jet pilots. But tRump did also point a finger at the military helicopter pilot(s) at his presser

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/01/30/npr-without-evidence-trump-blames-faa-diversity-initiatives-for-the-crash

Trump wondered if the helicopter pilot was wearing nightvision goggles, declared that “you had a pilot problem” and that the helicopter was “going at an angle that was unbelievably bad.” He questioned why the Army pilot didn’t change course, saying that “you can stop a helicopter very quickly.”

Edited to add - Another bloviation about DEI in air traffic control from newly-minted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, today, Sunday, Feb. 2
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/please-tell-us-cnn-s-tapper-puts-sean-duffy-on-the-spot-over-trump-plane-crash-claims/ar-AA1yhjPx

"Under the Obama administration, they they did change the recruitment standards and brought more people in, but less people were certified," Duffy said. "That caused a shortage in the system, but also they lowered -- this is the Obama or the Biden administration -- they lowered the entrance exam scores to get people into air traffic control. We only have so many slots in the academy. I want to get the best people into the academy that can pass the test, get into towers and not wash out."

[Jacson6]

6. It was her families choice not to release her name until all of her family members were notified of her death.

They don't say if she had a husband/wife or children. If she does they will be entitled to Army death benefits. Otherwise if she had the Army life insurance policy any one she designated will receive a life insurance pay out.

When I was in the Army 40 years ago 250 members of my army division died in a plane accident. It was hell for all of us losing buddies and dealing with grieving family members.

Hopefully she is at the pearly gates drinking some fine wine to wait for her other family members to arrive.

[John1956PA]

7. Thank you for your service.

I am sorry for your loss of fellow soldiers in the December 1985 tragedy.

[mnhtnbb]

9. She's local-- a UNC grad-- and local story linked.

DC crash: Durham woman part of Black Hawk crew killed in midair collision https://search.app/XqCHxPxaNeVfgBKD7

[JI7]

10. It's so fucked up the family can't just mourn their loss

and instead they need to try to prove her worth because of trash people .

[yardwork]

11. They're a wonderful family, too.

I know people who know them. I can't imagine their grief.