One of 3 soldiers aboard Black Hawk chopper involved in midair collision identified as longtime aviation officer
One of three soldiers aboard an Army Black Hawk helicopter that was involved in the deadly midair collision outside Washington, D.C., was identified as Capt. Rebecca Lobach.
Alternative Link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250201230922/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/soldier-aboard-black-hawk-chopper-midair-collision-identified-rebecca-lobach-former-white-house-aide/
"Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon."
This is nothing special for a Captain. Expected. Practically all of them are everybody buttons.
Funny, on January 4th she didn't have an ARCOM. https://www.newsweek.com/rebecca-lobach-washington-dc-american-airlines-black-hawk-crash-2024784
Good catch! Wonder when she got promoted to CPT?
You are ON it! It should be possible to establish her timeline. I grabbed some stuff I could find. You are welcome to add.
"Lobach enlisted in the [NC] state's Army National Guard in December 2018."
[This would be her senior, not junior year; she reportedly joined ROTC at UNC as a Junior.]
[Presumably this is where she got the Army Achievement Medal, NC NG, usually for enlisted. Probably awarded when she left enlisted for commissioned status.]
[She would have then been in both the NG as enlisted and ROTC as an officer candidate.]
"Lobach graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in biology in 2019." "UNC 2019 Commencement ceremonies on May 12."
Commissioning is upon graduation from ROTC. [I was commissioned the same day as the ROTC grads, before women were in ROTC, from the WAC College Jr. Commissioning program.]
Army Flight School ?
Aviation Officers Basic Course? Usually not assigned to a unit until after Basic Course.
Assigned to unit when? "Assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She had served since 2019."
Platoon Leader? [Prob as 1LT rather than 2LT]
Promoted to Captain when?
Executive Officer when ? to present?
January 4, 2025 escort for Ralph Lauren, no ARCOM.
Annual Checkout -- death January 29, 2025
ARCOM awarded when ? "next office above the recommender in the Chain of Command. is the office with approval authority."
"Posthumous awards. Awards may be made following the death of the person being honored in the same manner as they are made for a living person except that the orders and citation will indicate that the award is being made posthumously. The engraved medal and certificate will not contain the word posthumous."
[It is possible her chain of command issued this award on a very expedited basis after her death?!? SPECULATION but seems possible.]
[She would have looked more DEI like with only the achievement medal, as you noted on her uniform 4 Jan!]