Pool Report: Bush Visits National Guard Charter in Bangor, Maine

— -- A product of Noted Now and The Note

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After the pool boarded Air Force One, following the President, it was observed that the Secret Service had not boarded, and we were told that the plane was "waiting."

It eventually was learned that we were waiting for the arrival of a "World" airlines charter MD-11 carrying 292 Guardsmen and reservists for duty in Iraq.

The plane departed from Ft. Bragg with the 30th Brigade Combat team, a guard unit from North Carolina, the 414th Transportation Battalion reserve unit from South Carolina, and the 230th Area Support Group, a guard unit from Tennessee. There seemed to be a few other units as well, such as the 150th armored cavalry, a guard unit from West Virginia. They are heading to Germany and then to Kuwait, for 18-24 months duty in Iraq.

They were obviously excited to see the President, and a few confessed to being down when they had to say goodbye to their families, but they said they were boosted by the President's appearance. They were reluctant to talk about the mission in Iraq, appearing stoic about that. They were all wearing desert fatigues and filled virtually every seat on the 3-engine plane. The officers were seated in business class.

The soldiers mostly had cameras ready to take snapshots of Bush. Several requested autographs. They called out phrases such as "this is awesome."

The President put a tie and suit jacket on after the rally and walked down one aisle and back up the other, offering gentle smiles and words such as "I'm proud of you" and "thank you." Pool was not close enough to hear any more than that.

As he got to the rear of the plane, Sgt. Wanda Dabbs, 22, of the 230th, called out, "That's my President, hooah!" and there were cheers. At the end of the handshakes on the packed, hot plane, Bush got on the PA system from the middle galley. "I appreciate being President to such fine men and women. May God bless you all. May God keep you safe." POTUS walked in front of the limo the few hundred yards between the two planes.