Friends say that the army captain killed in the midar collision was a ‘brilliant and fearless’ patriot.

Washington (AP) – Captain of an US Army who died Wednesday’s midar collision A black hawk helicopter and an American airline jet was “luxurious and fearless” and “whatever he did,” friends and fellow soldiers said.

Captain Rebecca M. Lobac was identified by the Army on Saturday, as one of the three soldiers killed in an accident near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, DC, 67 people were killed, including 60 passengers of Jet and members of 4 crew members Were.

Lobac of Darham, Northern Carolina, had served as an Army Aviation Officer since July 2019, earning an Army’s praise medal and an achievement medal after graduating from North Carolina University. , His family said.

Last month, she rescued fashion designer Ralph Lauren at the White House, when she was awarded the presidential medal.

USA Today White House correspondent Davis Vinky trained with Lobac at North Carolina ROTC Program University. He was in the same training platoon in Fort Knoc, Kentki in 2018, and had friends since then.

“Rebecca was luxurious and fearless, a talented pilot and a PT stud,” Winky Written in a social media postUsing a brief name for physical training.

In a statement issued by the army, Lobac’s family stated that it had a flight of more than 450 hours and “Certification in his battalion” in his battalion as a pilot-in-command after extensive testing by senior and experienced pilots in his battalion Earned. “

Army Issued On Friday, the names of two other Black Hawk soldiers, but at the request of their family, withdrew the name of Lobac by Saturday. Staff Sergeant. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, was the head of the crew. The Chief Warrant Officer 2 was Andrew Loyd Ews, 39, Great Mills, Maryland, a pilot.

Lobac “was a patriot, she loved her country,” her close friend, Sam Brown, Told WNCN-TV,

The Lexi Fraz credited the mentorship of Loback to motivate him to become an airline in Columbia National Guard district.

“Not only did she care about being a leader and being the best officer, but she was also about being the best pilot,” Fraz told Rale, North Carolina, Station.

Another friend, Sabarina Bell, said that Lobac “She never did anything in what she had done, she never did anything, she never did anything impulsely.”

Loback’s family mentioned that she served as a certified sexual harassment/attack response and prevention as a lawyer and was expected to become a doctor when she came out of the army.

“We have been destroyed by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. He was a bright star in all our lives. She was kind, generous, luxurious, funny, ambitious and strong. Nobody had a big dream or worked hard to achieve his goals, ”the statement said.

“We request that you please respect our privacy because we mourn this devastating loss,” said Lobac’s family.

After the accident, President Donald Trump blamed the helicopter for flying at a very high altitude, saying: “You had a pilot problem from the helicopter point of view. I mean, because it was the scene, it was a very clear night. ,

Comments combined with Trump Diversity initiative In the air traffic controller rank, social media speculation about the makeup of the Black Hawk Crew was added to the wrong information, misinformation and vitriol. There is no evidence that diversity rules have been included in the collision.

Former military recruitment Bilal Cordab TV told That loback was kind, intelligent and “put so much pressure on himself that he was best and go to the extra mile.”

Before transferring to North Carolina University, Lobac played Division III College Basketball at South University.

Vinky said that both he and Lobac was tied quickly when new children were on the block. “

One day, while learning about various army officers in Fort Knoc, Vinky said that he and Lobac occurred on a small helicopter, called the MH -6 Little Bird.

Winky, which is 6-Foot-6 (2 meters) tall, said that Lobac-Your College’s Basketball days listed in 5-Foot-7 (1.7 m)-smiled at that and asked: “We both fit Can be? “

Winky wrote in a tribute to Loback on X, “If we do not put ourselves in that cockpit, I will be cursed.” “My neck hurt, and I don’t think we were able to fly it very well, but we were smiling in both of them.”

Vinky wrote that soon after Wednesday’s accident he read Lobac, asking: “Are you good?” He said that he did not realize till the next day that this message had not gone.

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Sisak reported from New York.