Michelle Obama went to the home base of the "All American" 82nd Airborne Division Thursday to begin fulfilling her First Lady pledge to be advocate-in-chief for military families.
"Our soldiers and their families have done their duty - and they do it without complaint," she said. "And we as a grateful nation must do ours - do everything in our power to honor them by supporting them."
On her first solo official venture outside Washington, Obama swept into the "Iron Mike" mess hall at historic Fort Bragg in North Carolina to cheers and applause.
She also met privately with more than 20 families on the base.
Obama later huddled with four toddlers who were making "Thank You" notes for wounded soldiers. And she read from Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" to pre-schoolers at the Prager Child Development Center on the sprawling post.
The First Lady gently teased a youngster with a pink bow in her hair: "What are you all dressed up for? You have a special guest or something?"
Obama said she was also concerned with the struggling families of the National Guard and reserves.
"I encourage everyone out there, within the sound of my voice, to reach out on your own - through schools, PTA, Little L agues, churches, workplaces - and find out if there's a soldier or a soldier's family right there in the community who needs a little extra support," she said.
During the presidential campaign, Obama met frequently with military wives near military bases and pledged to define her role as First Lady as an advocate for the troops and their families.
Since the election, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has encouraged Obama to visit bases and press for increased benefits and child care.
At Bragg, Sgt. 1st Class Ashlyn Lewis, 31, of Indianapolis, told the Associated Press that Obama's visit underlined the pressing need for ensuring "that the people that are coming home are getting the proper medical care."
The Veterans for America group praised Obama's commitment to military families, saying that mulitiple tours in combat zones "are shredding our military's readiness and straining even the bonds of marriage among military families."