Yesterday President George W. Bush unexpectedly turned up at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport to welcome home US Army troops. "The photos are priceless."

In 2003 Bush made a surprise appearance at a Thanksgiving Dinner in Baghdad, where he helped serve dinner to the troops:

This extract from a message home by a US Army captain describes the scene:

Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read the
speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the
United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering.
Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering
with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I
was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was
only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty feet
away from me! The cheering went on and on and on.

Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There was
not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could
clearly see tears running down! his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment
I’ve had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was this
man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours on
an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where a
plane was shot out of the sky not six days before.

Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend
another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never forget
it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked right at me
and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just mobbed by the
soldiers.