Most military families know the feeling.
The orders come through, the boxes come out, and suddenly you’re saying goodbye to the people and places that made a duty station feel like home. For military kids, every PCS means leaving behind teammates, coaches, classmates — and finding the courage to start over somewhere new.
For 13-year-old Khloe Pollard and her 11-year-old brother, Khai, that “start over” came when their Army family traded Louisiana for Lawton, Oklahoma.
Leaving wasn’t easy.
“I was born and raised there,” Khloe said. “Leaving all my family, all my friends… my whole life. It was really hard to start over at a new school, make friends, and start new sports.”
Sports were a major part of the equation for both siblings — Khai remembers feeling torn between excitement and heartbreak.
“I cried a little bit,” he admitted. “I was moving away from my friends and my football team.”
Their mom, Army 1st Lt. Von Wiley, knows resilience better than most. As a behavioral health officer at Fort Sill, she spends her days helping soldiers develop the mental tools they need to overcome adversity. Watching her own children navigate a PCS reminded her that military children carry just as much change as the service members who wear the uniform.
“We use the word ‘resilience’ a lot in the military,” she said. “Looking at my kids, military life has taught them resilience, adaptability and perseverance.”
Knowing how important sports had been back home, the family wasted little time finding a local track club after arriving in Oklahoma. Triple R Elite Track Club quickly became more than a place to train.
“It reminded us of our old track team in Louisiana,” Wiley said. “The coaches welcomed us like family.”
For Khloe, those first practices weren’t easy.
“I was really shy,” she said. “I stayed close to my brother the entire time.”
Today, Khloe is a two-time AAU Junior Olympic qualifier, the 2026 AAU Region 16 champion in both discus and javelin, and will return to the Junior Olympics after earning All-American honors in shot put last year.
She credits consistency for her success.
“I’ve learned that I can always improve,” Khloe said.
Her younger brother has been putting in the work, too. After focusing on improving his sprint form and shaving precious fractions of a second off his personal best, Khai also qualified for this year’s AAU Junior Olympic Games in the 100-meter dash.
“My sister ran over and said, ‘Khai, you made it!’” he recounted.
While they compete in different events, the siblings have become one another’s biggest coaches. They record each other’s practices, study technique together, and celebrate every personal record. At meets, they become each other’s loudest fans. Growing up in a military family has taught them that while friends and teammates may change with every duty station, family is the one constant they can always count on.
“We push each other a lot,” Khloe said. “Even when our parents are busy, we help teach each other.”
For Wiley, watching that relationship grow has been one of the greatest rewards.
“It has lightened the load on me,” she said. “They’re stronger not only in sports but in life.”
This summer, the siblings will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete at the 2026 Junior Olympic Games. They’ll represent Oklahoma, the state they now call home. They’ll also carry a piece of Louisiana with them: the coach and team that gave them the foundation for track and field, Dee Dee Massey and Massey Miracle Run. Wiley said the kids still turn to Coach Dee Dee Massey for virtual guidance when they need it.
Khai has his mind set on a big goal.
“I’m going to PR in Iowa,” Khai said. “Get into the 12s.”
But whether he PRs or not, Khai and Khloe will represent a club they never realized they’d be a part of, especially since their mom joined the Army later in life: military kids everywhere.
When asked what advice she’d give another military child facing a PCS, Khloe didn’t hesitate.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new,” she said. “You’ll never know where it might take you.”
