FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Michelle Obama says military families deserve more help while their husbands, wives and parents are deployed to fight overseas.

The wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke to a small crowd of mostly women Monday in Fayetteville, near the Army's sprawling Fort Bragg.

Michelle Obama said the country owes a debt of gratitude to members of the military and their families. And she said the government must do more, including offering troops better pay.

She said counseling should be available to help families cope during long deployments. She said studies should be done to examine how a parent's long deployment affects his or her children.

Obama said Americans have to understand "that when we deploy, we are not just deploying soldiers, we're deploying families."