By New York Post. The Army is refusing to name the female pilot killed aboard the military helicopter that collided with a passenger jet flying into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday.
In an announcement Friday, the Army, which disclosed the names of the two other soldiers in the chopper who died, said the woman’s family requested her identity be withheld from the public.
“At the request of the family, the name of the third Soldier will not be released at this time,” the Army Public Affairs wrote on their website.
The unidentified soldier was an experienced pilot with more than 500 of flying experience, the Telegraph reported, citing Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff of the army’s aviation directorate.
The Army on Friday formally identified Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, as the two other service members who were on the Black Hawk helicopter when it went down in the fiery crash into the Potomac River. (Read more from “Army Refuses to Identify Female Black Hawk Pilot Killed in DC Collision” HERE)
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FAA’s Obama-Era ‘Biographical Questionnaire’ for DEI Faces New Scrutiny After DC Crash
By The Daily Signal. President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Federal Aviation Administration to assess safety standards, including evaluating hiring practices, in the wake of the midair collision over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night. . .
“President Trump swiftly signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the federal government is maintaining the highest personnel and policy aviation-safety standards,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
As The Daily Signal previously reported, under President Barack Obama’s administration, the FAA scrapped a skills-based test and a certification program, and replaced it with a biographical questionnaire to attract more diverse applicants to become air traffic controllers. The FAA previously drew most candidates from the military and a group of 36 colleges that offer air traffic control programs.
“The Obama administration implemented a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude. During my first term, my administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence,” the Trump memorandum says. “But the Biden administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA.”
The memorandum continues: “On my second day in office, I ordered an immediate return to merit-based recruitment, hiring, and promotion, elevating safety and ability as the paramount standard. [Wednesday’s] devastating accident tragically underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA.” (Read more from “FAA’s Obama-Era ‘Biographical Questionnaire’ for DEI Faces New Scrutiny After DC Crash” HERE)
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Family Releases Name of Blackhawk Pilot
By Katherine Donlevy. 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 had 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. (Read more about this story HERE)
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The Family’s Statement Cites Pilot’s Work as Sexual Harassment Victim Advocate, Makes No Mention Deaths of the American Airlines Passengers Killed by Helicopter’s Collision with Jet
Unlike the statements issued by families of the two other soldiers killed in the Washington D.C. Blackhawk helicopter collision with the American Airlines jet, no mention was made in the Lobach family statement regarding the deaths of the jet’s 64 passengers:
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.
