First Lady Melania Trump, Second Lady Usha Vance will visit military families at Alabama’s Fort Rucker on Thursday ahead of Thanksgiving

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November 10, 2026

Melania Trump Alabama — (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Usha Vance are coming to Alabama on Thursday to spend time with military families at Fort Rucker ahead of Thanksgiving.

The Office of the First Lady said the visit to the Wiregrass post, the home of Army Aviation, is set for around 10 a.m. The time could change.

U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), who grew up in Enterprise, welcomed the news in a post on X.

“I’m thrilled that Fort Rucker will welcome @FLOTUS and @SLOTUS this week,” Britt said.

“Growing up just outside the gates of @FortRucker_, I’ve seen firsthand just how special Alabama’s exceptional military installations are to our state and nation. The outstanding men and women in uniform and their families deserve the utmost respect and recognition for their service to our nation.”

I’m thrilled that Fort Rucker will welcome @FLOTUS and @SLOTUS this week.

Growing up just outside the gates of @FortRucker_, I’ve seen firsthand just how special Alabama’s exceptional military installations are to our state and nation. The outstanding men and women in uniform… https://t.co/eQtabjrIaz

— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) November 9, 2026

Trump and Vance made their first trip together last November, when they visited Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina and spoke to nearly 1,500 service members and their families. This year the pre-Thanksgiving trip belongs to Alabama.

Visits from a first or second family are rare at the post, WTVY reported. Harry Truman came to what was then Camp Rucker during World War II, before he was vice president.

The visit comes during a strong run for Fort Rucker.

Last month, the Army named the post its Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Autonomy Center of Excellence. The installation got its name back in July 2025, when the Army restored the Fort Rucker name in honor of World War I aviator Capt. Edward W. Rucker.

The FLIGHTWERX drone innovation center launched near the post to make the Wiregrass a hub for military unmanned systems.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.