First Lady Encourages Veteran Community Service

By Rebecca Sheir

Mission Serve is a program expanding opportunities for veterans to perform community service. At today's inauguration of the initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama says she believes that's something these men and women are hard-wired to do.

"For many of these folks, service is the air they breathe," says Obama. "And they don't just wanna serve for a certain number of years of deployment. They wanna make their entire life a tour of duty."

Mission Serve is working with more than 50 civilian and military organizations. "Through this initiative, veterans are building homes in New Orleans," Mrs. Obama says "[and] working to reduce the drop-out rate in Boston and Philadelphia and helping their fellow veterans reintegrate into communities all across America."

Mrs. Obama says she wants to remind everyone to be thankful for veterans. "Its up to us not just to recognize our veterans for all they have done for this country," she explains, "but for all they will continue to do. That's what Mission Serve is all about."

Mission Serve is the brainchild of Service Nation, an organization that played a lead role in passing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which expands federal support for service and volunteer programs.