The third solider who died in the plane crash over the Potomac River has been identified as a former Biden administration aide, adding a new mysterious connection to a tragedy that has already sparked a fierce political debate over diversity.
The U.S. Army named 28-year-old Captain Rebecca Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, as the third victim in the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines jetliner. Her family said she was a volunteer military social aide under Joe Biden, ABC News reported.
Lobach was co-piloting the doomed Black Hawk helicopter on a routine training mission alongside Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md., and Staff. Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga, who also died.
Lobach's identity was initially withheld at the request of her family, as a political controversy began to brew over the crash and its possible causes.
"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,” her family said in a statement.
“We request that you please respect our privacy as we grieve this devastating loss,” Lobach’s family added.
Lobach served in the Army since 2019 and was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The Army said she had no deployments but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medical and Army Service Ribbon.
Lobach served as a social aide at the White House, assisting with official events under Joe Biden. Just weeks before her death, she was pictured escorting fashion designer Ralph Lauren on January 4 as he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
"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 added.
While an investigation into the crash has just begun, officials believe the helicopter was flying too high before it collided with an American Airlines flight last Wednesday, killing 67 people.
President Trump sparked outrage last week by speculating about the possible role of reduced hiring standards and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies pushed by the last administration. Trump's Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has echoed Trump's comments.
"The environment around which we choose pilots or air traffic controllers, as the president pointed out correctly yesterday, better be highest possible standard," Hegseth told Fox News last week.