"We put some very, very harsh downward pressure on Clark, because they were a failing partner," said Army Gen. Edward Daly, head of Army Materiel Command.
The first lady spoke at Fort Carson near Colorado Springs at an event hosted by the United Service Organization Spouse Connection ahead of Military Spouse Appreciation Day on Friday.
The Pentagon's press secretary said the U.S. government was aware of reports from the Ukrainian military of Russian troop movements on the eastern border, but he offered no details.
Some 200 veterans and community partners recently participated in Operation Bayou City Blitz, a volunteer initiative organized by veteran nonprofit The Mission Continues.
The Veterans Day event will feature music from veteran groups, intimate storytelling from individual veterans and theatrical performances of scenes from “The Things They Carried,” “All My Sons,” and “Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret.”