Hundreds of service members hear Melania Trump as she steps back into spotlight with Army base visit ahead of series premiere

Visit to Fort Rucker

Melania Trump traveled to Fort Rucker, an Army post in southern Alabama, on Thursday. Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, joined her for an early Thanksgiving visit.

The two women spoke to hundreds of service members and family members in front of Apache and Blackhawk helicopters. They praised the group’s contributions, then greeted people, shook hands and posed for photographs.

The visit was the first lady’s third major public outing since the election. The previous weekend, she went to Louisiana to promote a multimillion-dollar private endowment for college scholarships for people formerly in foster care.

Recent public appearances

Support for military families remains a focus of Melania Trump’s work. Her engagements have also included humanitarian efforts related to the war in Ukraine.

Ceasefire effort in Ukraine

The White House said in late October that Melania Trump helped broker a temporary ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine facing a severe hunger crisis. The pause allowed about 800 people to leave and enabled aid deliveries for residents who remained.

Last week, she brought Russian and Ukrainian officials together at the White House to help arrange the pause. She thanked the leaders of both countries for cooperating and said she hoped the effort could offer a model for ending the wider conflict. On Thursday, Usha Vance described Melania Trump as “a powerful voice for peace.” President Trump said his wife was “doing better than the professionals” on his team, whose efforts involving Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had not ended the nearly five-year war.