Pilot of Black Hawk Was Biden White House Social Aide

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach was involved in many activities in D.C. apart from practicing her pilot skills.

The identity of the pilot in command of the Black Hawk helicopter has been disclosed to the public. Rebbeca M. Lobach, 28, of Durham, North Carolina was a Company Executive Officer of the 12th Aviation Battalion, Division Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Until recently, she also served as a “White House Military Social Aide, volunteering to support the President and First Lady at countless social events” (see full statement of her family below).

Recently she escorted Ralph Lauren in the ceremony to receive his Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden.

Her profile suggests that she was a bright, attractive, and socially gifted young woman, which made her a desirable person for showcasing the military’s commitment to having women in military roles that were previously occupied exclusively by men.

The trouble with these social and political activities is that performing them doesn’t sharpen one’s piloting skills.

It’s going to be tough for the Army to explain why it was training a woman with only 500 hours of experience—supported by a crew of only three (instead of a safer crew of four)—while wearing night vision goggles on the tight approach path to a busy commercial airport while exceedingly the altitude ceiling by almost 2X. This situation strikes me as inherently risky with little margin for error.