Melania Trump and Usha Vance are making an early holiday visit with North Carolina military families

RICHLANDS, N.C. (AP) — Melania Trump and Usha Vance were taking first trip together Wednesday, spending time with North Carolina service members and their families in a show of appreciation for their service and sacrifice as the holidays approach.

The wives of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a former Marine, landed in the town of Richlands and were visiting with military personnel at Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast, and Marine Corps Air Station New River, which is in the same area.

Heading toward Lejeune, the motorcade passed a house with a rooster running around the front yard. The day was to include joint appearances with military-connected students and remarks from both women to a gathering of service members and their families, according to Trump’s office.

The first lady in her remarks was set to recognize the Marine Corps’ 250 years of service, express gratitude to Marines and military families, and highlight the importance of families in supporting the U.S. military.

She also was expected to highlight another issue she has been focusing on lately: the rapid evolution of technology, including artificial intelligence.

Both women left the morning after attending the first formal White House dinner of Trump’s second administration, a black-tie affair planned by the first lady to honor Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

They have appeared together at other public events, most notably at the inauguration of their husbands at the Capitol in January.

Other joint appearances came at a White House event celebrating military mothers and a luncheon for Senate spouses, both in May; opening night of “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy Center in June; and the president’s signing last week of an executive order to help foster children. The order was in support of the first lady’s Fostering the Future program, which is part of her child-focused Be Best initiative.

Melania Trump has centered her work around children, starting with the launch of Be Best during her husband’s first term to focus on their welfare, online safety and opioid abuse.

Last month, she announced that eight children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war had been reunited with their families following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this year, the first lady helped lobby Congress to pass legislation imposing federal penalties for online sexual exploitation, often targeting young girls. Her husband signed the bill into law in May.

Usha Vance, a former lawyer, launched a “Summer Reading Challenge” to encourage students in kindergarten through eighth grade to read 12 books during the school break. Certificates and prizes were promised to those who completed the challenge.

The second lady often accompanies the vice president on his trips and sometimes brings along their three young children.