Pittsburgh International Airport Military Lounge Gets Upgrade with Support from USO, Sheetz

Nov. 12—Military service members now have an upgraded spot to relax and recharge between layovers at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Buoyed by funding from Sheetz and individual donors, the United Service Organizations Inc. has invested in renovating the airport's existing military lounge for active-duty as well as reserve members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their traveling companions.

"This is a great partnership between the USO and the airport," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a statement. "We are grateful for their work, which provides a welcoming center for those departing from and arriving to our region."

The newly unveiled USO Pittsburgh Airport Center will be staffed by volunteers from the USO, the Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting the military since 1941.

"We are grateful to the Allegheny County Airport Authority for helping us establish a USO center that will serve our heroes in uniform," said Rebecca Parkes, the USO's Northeast regional president. "No matter where service members may be traveling, those who pass through Pittsburgh International Airport can count on the USO to provide a warm welcome."

The USO lounge will take over operations of the military lounge in Concourse C. A form of the lounge has been serving members since 2008, with about 1,000 visitors using it annually, according to airport officials.

The lounge had been closed during much of the covid-19 pandemic, enabling the USO time to update the space and add more equipment and features.

"The center will provide service members with a comfortable place to wait for flights and reconnect with loved ones while in transit," said Travis McNichols, an Air Force veteran and the airport authority's senior vice president of public safety, operations and maintenance.

Amenities the updated USO military lounge will offer include free snacks and drinks, a rest area with fully reclining chairs, a computer lab with printers and web access, gaming systems and a children's space with toys. Visitors also will get $10 food vouchers, courtesy of the Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation.

The USO Center's grand opening drew local dignitaries and veterans from the airport authority on Wednesday.

"We are proud to continue our commitment to the Pittsburgh region, especially our community of active-duty and reserve military members and their families," McNichols said.

The military lounge's reopening came just in time for Veteran's Day on Thursday.

For more information about the USO nonprofit organization and its national reach, go to USO.org.

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, [email protected] or via Twitter .

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