Captain Rebecca Marie Lobach was the best of the best. She cared deeply about helping and serving others and her country. She daily made the world a better, brighter place with her joy and innate curiosity, not to mention her sourdough starter. She will always be remembered for making those she met feel seen, loved, and encouraged.

Rebecca was born in Durham, NC on February 10th, 1996 and died January 29th, 2025 in Washington, DC at the age of 28. She was homeschooled from pre-K to 12th grade along with her siblings, participating in extracurricular activities such as Durham Flight Basketball, Odyssey of the Mind, the Museum of Life and Science volunteer program, and the North Carolina State Fair baking competitions.

She was recruited to play NCAA DIII basketball at Sewanee University of the South, where she studied for two years before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, she served as a practice player for the women’s basketball team and joined the UNC Army ROTC program, where she met lifelong friends. In 2019, she graduated with academic honors and degrees in Biology and Political Science and a minor in Spanish. She also was a distinguished military graduate who ranked in the top 20% of cadets nationwide. After commissioning as an Second Lieutenant in the US Army, she worked as a Gold Bar Recruiter for Duke Army ROTC Bull City Battalion from 2019-2020.

Rebecca chose to pursue a career in Army Aviation and completed the Aviation Basic Officer Leader’s Course and Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training at Fort Novosel (formerly Rucker), AL. In 2022, she was assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion, Bravo Company, and stationed at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, VA. She served as Platoon Leader, 2nd Platoon from 2021-2023, as Company Executive Officer in 2023, as Assistant Operations Officer from 2023-2024, and as Petroleum Oil and Lubricants (POL) Platoon Leader from 2024-2025. During her service, Rebecca received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and proudly wore her Army Aviator badge after becoming a qualified UH-60M Black Hawk pilot. She earned her certification as pilot-in-command after achieving over 450 hours of flight time. Her military education included the Joint Firepower Control Course and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course. Rebecca was also proud to be a Victim Advocate with the Department of Defense’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.

She loved serving as a White House Military Social Aide from 2022-2025 and worked 100 events—including State Dinners, and the Medal of Freedom and Medal of Honor ceremonies—in addition to cultivating a thriving social life, maintaining her physical fitness, and frequently traveling to Durham to spend time with family. Upon completing her time in the Army, she hoped to attend medical school to become a psychiatrist and was accepted into the Icahn School of Medicine program at Mount Sinai (NYC) with deferred attendance.

Rebecca was a philosopher, a culinary artiste, an intentional friend, and an exceptional soldier. She cared deeply about her work and strove for excellence in every endeavor. But even more than her many accomplishments and goals, she cared fiercely for her family, nurturing familial bonds into friendships, leading by example and with kindness as a sister, daughter and granddaughter. She is survived by parents David and Mary Lee Lobach; sisters Elizabeth, Alli, and Kat; brother Daniel; brother-in-law Noah; and grandmother Sarah Lee.

Rebecca, thank you for blessing our lives with your energy, joy, curiosity and love. We dreamed of all you would become one day. Blue skies and tailwinds, forever in our hearts.

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