Michelle Obama Tours, Mingles at NC Army Base

First lady Michelle Obama, venturing away from Washington to define her White House role, called on the American people Thursday to embrace the military families in their communities.

First lady Michelle Obama speaks to soldiers and family members during a visit to the Iron Mike Dining Facility at Fort Bragg, N.C., Thursday, March 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

(AP)

In her first major advocacy mission, the wife of President Barack Obama spent the afternoon visiting with soldiers and their families at North Carolina's sprawling Fort Bragg. She then told a crowd of community leaders in nearby Fayetteville that Americans need to reach out to members of the military.

"Our soldiers and their families have done their duty — and they do it without complaint," Mrs. Obama said. "And we as a grateful nation must do ours — do everything in our power to honor them by supporting them."

Mrs. Obama has said she wants to focus on military families during her time as first lady. She spent time hugging military members at a dining facility and talking with their spouses in a private session — all in a support center that had some windows boarded up with plywood.

Later she visited a classroom of kids, ages 3 to 5, at a Fort Bragg child development center. She gave an animated reading of "The Cat in the Hat" — a book she used to read to her daughters — and then did a few minutes of crafts with kids preparing "Thank You" cards for wounded soldiers.

"Military family members have their own special courage and strength," she said later.

To emphasize her commitment to the military community, Mrs. Obama also gave her first network television interview since her husband took office, sitting down at Fort Bragg with ABC's "Good Morning America."

In the interview, to be broadcast Friday, she said she wanted military families to know they have a friend in the White House.

"It hurts. It hurts," the first lady said of hearing about military families on food stamps. "These are people who are willing to send their loved ones off to, perhaps, give their lives — the ultimate sacrifice. But yet, they're living back at home on food stamps. It's not right, and it's not where we should be as a nation."