First lady at Fort Bragg, NC

First Lady at Fort Bragg

Supporting military families, she has said, is an issue "close to her heart."

And on her first solo out-of-town trip as first lady, Michelle Obama yesterday went to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where soldiers greeted her with cheers. She talked with troops, posed for pictures and gave hugs, according to a pool report, before a private lunch with 20 relatives of service members and five volunteers who help support soldiers and their families.

The visit to Fort Bragg, her office said, is part of her campaign to meet military spouses and learn about support services that are available to military families.

Obama has said that more national attention must be paid to the plight of military families, and she has made their needs one of her signature issues.

Last week at the women's center at Arlington National Cemetery, Obama said military families have a special strength, noting that military service doesn't stop with the person wearing the uniform.

"They are mothers and fathers who have lost their beloved children to war," Obama said. "They are husbands and wives keeping the family on track while their wives and husbands are deployed, on duty. They are grandparents, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers who are taking care of children while single moms or dads in uniform are away."

She continued: "See, military families have done their duty, and we as a grateful nation must do ours. We must do everything in our power to honor them by supporting them."

Support for military families remains a top issue for President Obama as well as the first lady. During the presidential campaign, Michelle Obama often met with families who, she said, "are left behind when our men and women go off to serve."