A grieving pal of US Army Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who was on the doomed military chopper that crashed into a passenger jet in DC, remembered her as “brilliant and fearless” in a moving tribute Saturday.
Army vet and USA Today reporter Davis Winkie credited the killed pilot as instrumental in helping him navigate the “hardest periods” of his personal life during their time together in the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Army ROTC.
“Rebecca was brilliant and fearless, a talented pilot and a PT stud,” Winkie wrote on X, noting both he and Lobach bonded over being “latecomers” to the ROTC program, joining midway through their third year.
Winkie recalled how Lobach was seemingly drawn to helicopters during a “branch day” in 2018 when cadets were taught about different Army officer career paths.
“She was a few feet in front of me when she stopped, turned, and pointed out an MH-6 Little Bird (an incredibly small helicopter!). She shot me a mischievous smile and said something like, ‘Think we can both fit?’ ” Winkie wrote.
“My dear readers: I am 6’6″ and Rebecca (a former college basketball player) is at least 5’8″,” he said, “But I’ll be damned if we didn’t somehow stuff ourselves into that cockpit.
“My neck hurt, and I don’t think we would’ve been able to fly it very well, but we were both beaming in the selfie she took,” he added, sharing the photo the pair took seated next to each other in the helicopter.
Winkie and Lobach also shared a love of bar trivia, according to his tribute, which noted their team was “rarely victorious but was never defeated.”
He also credited Lobach and the rest of their friend group with helping him stay afloat while navigating through personal struggles.
“Our friend group sustained me and kept me engaged when every fiber of my being wanted to just go numb to this world. I owe her so much,” he wrote.
The two friends remained close as he pursued a career in journalism and she began working as an active-duty Black Hawk pilot, Winkie wrote.
“After I went into journalism, she would call me when I wrote a funny or interesting story. I wish we’d taken a photo together when we had lunch a year ago. I wish I’d remembered to invite her to a party I hosted a week ago. I wish she weren’t dead,” he wrote.
“You are so missed, Rebecca. This world won’t be the same without you.”
Lobach, a decorated service member originally from Durham, NC, had served in the military since July 2019.
While the Army initially declined to identify Lobach at the request of her family, they changed their mind on the matter Saturday.
“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,” the family said.
She also served as a White House social aide during the Biden administration and escorted Ralph Lauren through the White House when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom last month.
How the Blackhawk crashed into the American Airliner jet — making for the worst US airplane disaster in decades — is still a mystery.
The other two soldiers killed aboard the Black Hawk helicopter have been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Md., and Staff. Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Ga.
