We’re With Mia, Homeward Bound on Her Family's Final PCS Move

The boxes were carefully labeled, passports stamped and goodbyes said. This past year, Air Force Lt. Col. Miev “Mia” Carhart and her family made their last military permanent change of station (PCS) move, a homeward journey from Germany to Virginia, with the USO alongside them, just as it had been since their earliest days in uniform.

“I was the first one in the family to join the Air Force,” Mia said. “It was a shocker to my mom who believed that women did not belong in the military and because we had experienced war in Cambodia. I convinced her that I will be out of harm’s way as a nurse.”

What began as a short tour became a distinguished 28-year military career, culminating in service as a lieutenant colonel at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Along the way, the family’s map filled with pins and friendships, Yokota Air Base in Japan, Bitburg Annex and Spangdahlem in Germany. “Some of the greatest joys of military life were meeting (and keeping) new friends along the way, experiencing living overseas…and appreciating the traveling opportunities,” Mia said. “Some of the challenges were leaving friends behind and starting and adjusting to a new duty station and making a house into a home.”

Their final PCS was both a capstone and a new start. Before wheels-down in Virginia, the family made a celebratory swing through Japan, South Korea and Hawaii. “Our kids still talk about the trip and how much they loved Japan. I am so grateful that we could give them that experience,” Mia said. The homecoming joy was real, but so were the realities. “The biggest adjustments were transitioning to civilian life especially for my kids. They missed their friends and the military way of life.”

PCS moves are marathons, especially with young children in tow; juggling orders and out-processing, managing housing timelines, guarding nap schedules across time zones and shepherding strollers, car seats and carry-ons through crowded terminals. At each inflection point, the USO is there to help military families decompress. Airport centers offer a quiet corner to regroup, snacks when mealtimes slipped and welcoming volunteers who understood travel days with kids.

Through every airport and in-between moment, the USO was a constant. “My husband and I were first introduced to the USO when we PCS’d to my second duty station (Yokota AB, Japan) in 1999. We waited at the USO before boarding the Patriot Express,” she said. “Since then, we seek out a USO whenever we are at an airport. For our last move, we had a layover at Chicago O’Hare and used the USO there.”

In Germany, the connection deepened from visitor to volunteer. “Spangdahlem USO was incredibly active with recruiting volunteers and offering and supporting many events,” she said. “My family and I were introduced to the USO there when my family received a USO welcome package during COVID restrictions. I was inspired to get involved after seeing other volunteers giving back to the community and the programs that the USO offered.”

That spirit came home with her. “As I was planning my retirement, I was looking at ways to stay connected to the military community,” Mia said. “I was excited to see a USO at the Richmond Airport and that I can continue to volunteer and stay connected.” Today, she helps ensure other military families find the same steady, welcoming place her family relied on. “Looking back, I would say that my experiences with the USO Spangdahlem was the most meaningful for me and why I continue to volunteer with the USO RIC,” she said. “My family like that they can go to the USO when they travel. It’s their safe space to relax and be treated with kindness and nourishment.”

As her family settled, the USO Transition program provided practical lift. “I absolutely used the USO Transition program,” she said. “Kayla Clark, my transition specialist, got me connected to Coursera and I was able to complete two courses, one of which allows me to help my husband with the bookkeeping for our business. I recommend the program to anyone who is retiring. It made a huge difference for me!”

From that first wait at Yokota to a restorative pause at Chicago O’Hare, and finally to serving others at Richmond International Airport, one thread connects every mile; the USO was, and is, with Mia and her family, especially on the journey that mattered most, their final PCS home.