The crash, among the worst aviation disasters in modern history, left no survivors. The Army identified those killed alongside Lobach in the helicopter as Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Andrew Loyd Eaves, a 39-year-old chief warrant officer 2 from Great Mills, Maryland.
And for the people who loved Lobach, it left a gripping sorrow and the memories of a brilliant mind, dedicated servicemember and a loving friend.
Lobach, a 28-year-old aviation officer assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, was the only female pilot on the flight. In an unusual move, the Army granted her family's request to hold her name before it was released on Saturday evening. It came after President Donald Trump, with little explanation, pointed the finger at DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, practices as a factor behind the crash.
"Not only did she deserve what she achieved, but she was overqualified most of the time for what she was able to accomplish," said Capt. Bilal Kordab, who recruited Lobach to the North Carolina National Guard. "Nothing was just handed to her."
"I am hoping that people can look past the political aspect of the whole situation and look past her race and her gender," Bell said. "I hope that she's remembered more for the impact that she had on other people's lives."
Lobach's friends say excellence was her natural state of being.
A Durham, North Carolina, native, Lobach enlisted in the state's Army National Guard in December 2018.
She was commissioned as an active duty aviation officer months later. She quickly skyrocketed through the ranks, and latched onto piloting like a bird to air.
Lobach graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in biology in 2019. A distinguished military graduate, she was in the top 20% of cadets in the nation, according to the Army.
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Originally Posted by Nic B
