Good grief, George. Stay home. You and your family and cohorts have done enough damage.  Ever notice how right wingnuts blame everyone else for W's incompetence?  Contrary to what the above pic is implying, combat troops -- and hence casualties -- are disproportionately white (70+%).  The GI in the photo was almost certainly "in the rear with the gear" during his deployment.  It is good to see the worst president ever out and about. His list of accomplishments include unfunded tax cuts to the wealthy that cost taxpayers $3 trillion, Iraq war at $1.2 trillion, drug programs at $600 billion and the bank bailout at $778 billion. I forgot to mention the biggest growth in government with his lame duck homeland security. Jimmy Carter created 22 million jobs in one term, and W created less than 3 million in two terms, losing 8 million in his last year.  just seeing laura & george bush highlighted the classlessness of the present occupants of the white house. it is really so disheartening to see how far our country has fallen in 2 years. i pray people will begin to want patriotism, pride, humbleness and class again in our leaders – all of which are so lacking in what we have now! thank you bush's for your concern for our military!  These class acts are sorely missed. When compared to the narcissistic debris currently occupying the White House, the contrast is stark. God deliver us from our national nightmare, and soon.  God Bless you President and Laura Bush!  Gosh, a man with some class ought to piss off the current administration. Hope is not a plan folks  So nice that they could drive to the local airport and shake a few hands of the people who's lives they ruined.  Great job Mr. President for these soldiers I'm sure it meant the world.  If I were those troops, I would want to hit Bush over the head for what he did to them and our country. He certainly has gall to even do this. All the time he was in office and the dead were coming home, he didn't even acknowledge them.  Did he see the ones in the body bags, too?  I didn't like some of his policies but he was a great commander-in-chief and he shows class to go welcome soldiers home.  I hope "W" apologizes for sending them to an unnecessary war and bankrupting our country.  a real president, who gets it.  And he's the one who got us into this mess...I wouldn't have shaken hands with him.  I didn't like G. W. Bush at all when he was president. However, he is growing on me. It's a nice symbolic gesture.  When he was president, he wasn't even trying to justify the means necessitated by the circumstances, and people questioned his concern for ethics and democracy. Pres Obama discusses these ethical issues a lot, but his solutions look a lot like those of G. W. Bush.  Say what you want about his time in office, but it's good to see anyone doing this. Hopefully more people will  Whether you like the guy or not, he is true to what he believes in. He is not a professional politician, he's a real person, what you see is what you get. Kind of refreshing to see after the bad acting job we see daily now.  He the former President Bush has finally done something worthwhile since he left office. Guess he spends more time down on his ranch which wouldn't surprise me as he spent more days there during his eight years in office than any other President in modern history. Nice photo op........................... A retired US Army veteran  Too bad he is the traitor of our country who started an unnecessary war that has no end in sight. I commend him for his publicity stunt, very endearing. Thank God he is no longer our President... what a creep.  It's the last thing I would want to see if I was coming home from the Middle East.  He should be welcoming them home. He is responsible for them being over there in the first place.  Great story...let's see our current commander-in-chief squeeze something like this into his busy schedule in between talk show visits and pick-up basketball games  Bush is a Class Act unlike our current President!!!.  What a class act!!!! Since leaving office, this man has remained quiet and above ALL others. I know it's been hard listening (or not) to all of the "Bush Bashing" but please know that we admire you for the graceful composure that you display! Thanks, Mr. President!  A class act who doesnt crave the spotlight. These photos are from a random soldiers facebook set up. Bush cared less if people knew he was there or not. I would be surprised if CNN leaves this story on here tomorrow morning when people are actually on here.  Typical George W. Bush, no fanfare, no big press deal, just a man and wife who feel deeply and in a very genuine manner. A couple who does not think they are special, but who recognize what special people are service men and women are. Thank you W, for all that you did and continue to do.  Oh, so NOW Bush doesn't want to hide the troops returning home?  How Ironic a draft dodger who started a senseless war sending thousands to their death. He should get as far away from any serviceman as he can. Bush's oil war  Have to give George Bush credit for welcoming our troops home which is more than you can say about Obama! Obama doesn't care about our troops. If fact, he doesn't care about the United States of America.  This is the very least he could do. I guess his guilty conscience is getting to him. He is the one who started this whole thing and he is responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries of the military and the citizens of the country. I , personally, will never forgive him.  President and Mrs. Bush True American Hero's along with our loyal troops.  He would not have to have taken time off from picking up his dogs poop if he never started these wars in the first place. As an ex Dallasite, please stay home.  "Hello sir. Great to be home. BTW thanks for putting me in harm's way for no reason at all."  The nerve of that guy. Why is god's name did the White House and/or Pentagon allow Bush to get within 100 feet of an American serviceman?  you the man Mr. Pres Bush honor to the troops  And we don't miss him being president either. I wonder if he ever greets the airplanes bringing home the soldiers that die in his war?  He should greet the caskets instead from the unnecessary war he started.  Another reason to admire George W. Bush. He is a good man.  Do you think he might have a gillty conscience  Dubya Is a man of Honor. Something we need more of.  Thanks Mr. George W Bush!!  Oh how good of the war criminal Bush to greet the troops as they arrive home.  "For the first time in my life, I was star struck," McAfee said. "He obviously still loves the military." Yeah, he loves them enough to launch a war of aggression against a country that not only did NOT have WMD's but did not pose a threat to the United States at all.  No amount of Arabs placing slips of paper in ballot boxes is going to bring back all those killed in this unnecessary war. Not to mention heal the hundreds of thousands who will be born, or are already born with birth defects stemming from spent Depleted Uranium rounds all over Iraq.  A real class act – a good man and a good president and a GREAT CIC. He took the tough decisions and stuck by them and changed when necessary. He made mistakes but after all he had to to deal with the Defeatocrats and the Liberal ass-kissers in MSM including CNN. This what a real leader looks like compared to that incompetent fool Obama.  What more would you expect from a former great president!!!!!!!  Show-boat! What about all the dead ones you didn't welcome home. Go away, faker.  Like his policies or not, this is classy. He has no campaigning to do for a new office, no business or cause he's lobbying for, and no financial incentive, just a deep respect for the men and women serving.  FINALLY – he did something.  Now that he is no longer president, suddenly he cares about the troops???  Well, he's got a book to sell, you know. Doing a little pre-sale publicity and photo ops. Freak. Go away already.  Sick and discusting that he wants to wash his hands of the blood.  It's a shame that none spit in his eye.  Thank you President and Mrs. Bush for greeting the returning military. You are always thinking of others and this was truly a class act. Thank you so very much!  Scumbag Bush needs to go to our military cemeteries and apologize to all the brave dead American soldiers who died in his illegal Iraq war and his incompetent Afganistan war.  Then he needs to be indicted and tried for war crimes.  I bet ti was a big surprise to see the man who sent you into a war that was a total lie. I'm more surprised one soldier did not punch his lights out.  Say what you will about Bush's judgment on a host of issues, or about his stubbornness in sticking to his beliefs.  You can't say he has EVER failed to act with the dignity befitting a former president, and you can't say he doesn't sincerely love, respect and honor the men and women who wear the uniform.  One thing that will begin to heal this nation is when the left acknowledges some of Bush's legitimate virtues, of which there are many.  Who knows, such talk from the left might actually trigger some generosity of tone from the right about Mr. Obama.  I'm a libertarian, which means I have plenty of problems with both the extreme left that supported Bush and the extreme right that supports Obama. But we all should try to tone it down a bit and give credit where it is due.  Tell Bush not to come to Airport let he sleep in his own bush. He is the cause for this wonderful country destruction in terms of many american soldiers and Iraques half million civils and economicaly destruction of the country not only monetary but the psychological loss of 10% Americans who lost their jobs and life dependant sources. He is a very stupid person send by -- fo rnothing. It is sad. I hope the country will come to its place at the top of the mountain.  Class act. Thank You Mr. President and Mrs. Bush.  Go away George, its to late to change your ratings.  Oh how appalling and nauseatingly noble-  This sorry substitute for a man deployed thousands of our kids to die for a deceitful lie and for no other reason than to avenge daddy's shortcomings in Kuwait and enrich cheesy's coffers.  He should greet the mournful and final exit of those coming home in flag draped coffins at Dover AFB.  What a coward and dearth of a president.  This couple has class. Even though President Obama is trying to blame Bush for everything instead of being a man and taking ownership after 18 months. The Obama's are taking trips on our dime left and right, the Bushes took time for themselves... they went mostly to a ranch they owned!!!  Let us not forget that the Democrats have had control of the house and Senate for 4 years and the President can not get anything passed without the 2 groups of people.  Troops must be elated to be able to shake hands with an American president once again.  What Nerve ! ! Has Bush any shame at all. !!! He's the reason for all the heart break in America. I hope they wallked right by him and ignored him !! Remeber Bush sleeps like a baby– no guilt at all !! I have no respect at all for him or Cheney !! I know the soldiers had to show respect for him . The soldiers are in my thoughts and prayers. We need our soldiers home !! Enough with the rich getting richer over the wars !!  Man I would have loved to have been there to meet the President. Like him or not he still was Our President and evil racist liberals should respect this.  I love George Bush. I trusted him...he is a good person and he continues to be a great human being. Did I agree with everything he did while he was in office....no....but as far as presidents go....he's one of the best IMO.  HooYaa President Bush ! We miss your 400 billion deficits . God help us if obama finds out what comes after a trillion.  W's the man! Go Mr. President!  Well, thats a nice change... considering he couldn't be bothered to meet the flights carrying the remains of dead soldiers coming back to the US... like every other president has done.  What a classy ex-president! Maligned constantly by his successor he nevertheless continues to remain above the fray and shows qualities which reveal why so many people still love and respect him. Well done, Mr President.  Wonder if the soldiers were thinking "Thank you Mr Bush for wasting 6 years of my life for a useless war that has now bankrupt the country"  Class act. He/she have no more political aspirations, so how can this be interpreted as anything other than sincerity?  Thank you Mr. Bush for taking the difficult moral high road, for doing what you perceived to be right despite the naysayers and the views of those less enlightened. The fact that you still care and show it validates your position and those of us that understand it. There aren't many that "get it" in life and some are morally guided to make the world better even if it is perceived to be self serving. While I wasn't always satisfied with the outcome or the delivery of your agenda, I remain confident that your desires were not only noble but as benevolent as possible.  Sure, he'll go welcome them back as long as they don't come home in a box. He NEVER ONCE welcomed back a single dead soldier, there was no photo op for that I guess.  You go Mr. President and we want you back  That's the LEAST Bush should do since he started the Iraq War, put on a flight suit and banner and declared Mission Accomplished before it really was. Some fascist dictator also put on a military uniform and declared victory in Stalingrad not long ago.  The Bush's did this because they wanted to AND because they thought it was the right thing to do. The current POTUS and his Spain-trotting 1st lady could definitely learn something about class and respect from the former!  Gee nice of him, did he get a conscience after he left office.  Like the troops have any choice. Many would rather walk right by rather than let this horrible couple use them for yet more photo opts. They will get in trouble if they don't stand and smile and we all know it.  The Bush's are an American Disgrace and have earned that title over many generations.  How did they answer the soldiers when they ask why they were risking their lives for Weapons of Mass Destruction that did not exist... Why didn't the Bush girls join their father's war , and why if the mission was accomplished like George said, didn't the soldiers come home...and since they have the surplus money from Clinton term in office , why are the jobs gone and we are in debt  Way to go Mr. President... oh... and just for the record... This country has serious buyers remorse... you know... the guy who blames you for everything... because he's done nothing positive he can mention  The Bush Bashing for almost all of the 8 years of his administration and now the daily bashing from Obama is undeserved by this Former President and the First Lady. They are a compassionate caring couple with class. He never defends himself against all the vulgar rantings and didn't during his tenure as our President.  that's more than he ever did in office  Thanks to all the men and women that served this country and did what they were asked to do !!!  The soldier looks like he's trying to get away.  YES, i am sure they were overjoyed to see the man that sent them on the wild goose chase that killed many of their brothers...OH JOY! Its a surprise like waking up on Christmas to find your husbands gift was divorce papers...Im sure it was that kind of surprise!  WELCOME home HEROES,enjoy your two weeks to the fullest,keep safe here and upon returning to the war theaters. GOD BLESS!!!!!! froma fellow vet.  Now that is CLASS! President and Mrs. Bush are first-class through and through. Still showing their appreciation for our men and women who serve this country.  Can't stand George Bush but this was a pretty great thing to do!  He and Laura are wonderful people. He has never spoken out again Obama, has remained quiet concerning the horrible economy we're facing. He doesn't publiize ahead of time that he's going to the airport to greet the troops, just does it in his own quiet way.  Way to go Mr. President! You are sorely missed.  welcoming them from those two infamous wars????...I thought the MISSION was ACCOMPLISHED a long time ago, it must be that elections are near......  Well, I just think it is wonderful that President Bush and Laura were at DFW to meet the troops. We have alot of different groups here in Dallas who meet and greet the troops at DFW. The Telephone Pioneers are there several times a month. I think the troops appreciate all the people who come out to welcome them home. Today was a real treat for our troops.  say what you will about his term as president, but GW Bush has been, is and will remain a class act.  It's nice to see some true leadership showing the way instead of just talking !!  Too little too late Mr. Bush.  It's a shame that Mr. Bush never saw the need to take the time to welcome home those who died as the result of his poor decisions. He's a small man today – just as he was when he started 2 needless wars leading to the unnecessary deaths of thousands.  Welcoming our troops home is a great idea. It sets a great perspective for their return.  Hopefully all of them will be home from Afghanistan because they were successful in their mission just like they are in Iraq.  Former President Bush has shown a lot of class since the election by not getting caught up in all of the ridiculous tactics of the neo-cons who now rule the republican party. He will be better remembered because of acts of kindness like this.  I would never shake the hand of the man that sent almost 6,000 American troops to die for nothing In Afghanistan and Iraq!  It would have been more appreciative if he showed that respect when he was in office.He would not even allow photos of returning caskets draped in a flag.  Good for you, Mr & Mrs Bush. I was against going to Iraq, but for all the military who've stood and fought for us, I'm sure it was an honor to be greeted by the former prez & his wife.  What a joke! Bush's efforts to enrich the corporates have gotten 50,000 U.S. soldiers needlessly wounded or killed in Iraq, while his failure to prosecute the war in Afghanistan, where U.S. troops were abandoned without a mission, leadership or a strategy from 2002 to 2009, has cost the U.S. any chance of winning.  Good job "Mr. President" and 'First Lady".  Comments have been closed for this article
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/12/art.bush.0811.laynemurdoch.jpg caption="Former President George W. Bush surprised soldiers returning home mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Thursday.