BANGOR – Returning to U.S. soil after a second tour of duty in Iraq, U.S. Army Spc. Joshua Ruschenberg used a cell phone provided by troop greeters at Bangor International Airport on Monday night to call his mother in Texas.

With former President Bill Clinton among the greeters, Ruschenberg placed a second quick call to his sister-in-law Shancy Garrison in North Carolina, then handed over the phone to the former commander in chief.

“Hi, Shancy, it’s Bill Clinton,” the former president said into the small phone.

The 42nd president was returning to the U.S. from Paris where he had met with French President Jacques Chirac to discuss plans for the Clinton Foundation, the former U.S. chief executive’s charitable organization. Clinton’s plane had stopped at BIA around 7 p.m. to refuel.

A complication developed after smoke was detected in the cockpit of the 20-seat Falcon jet. Another plane was brought in later to fly Clinton back to White Plains, N.Y.

Clinton’s stopover took an unexpected turn with the arrival of two flights of soldiers returning from Iraq.

Upon learning of the arriving troops, Clinton joined the line of staunch local troop greeters who meet each plane carrying service men and women either returning from overseas or leaving for duty. These two flights represented the 1,368th and 1,369th arrivals met by the troop greeters.

“Thank you for your service,” Clinton said as he shook hands and hugged many of the nearly 600 soldiers as they passed by.

Many of the returning soldiers were visibly startled to see Clinton in the line of more than a dozen greeters. The soldiers were from the 3rd Infantry Battalion and the 313th Field Artillery Unit and were returning to bases in Oklahoma and Georgia.

“This is great,” said Staff Sgt. Anthony Thompson of New York City, who stood next to Clinton, a “neighbor” who now works about 10 blocks from him.

The soldiers pulled out cameras, picture phones and video cameras to capture a moment with the former president, who also autographed hats, cards, a dollar bill, whatever the service men and women could find.

Some, such as Ruschenberg, handed the president a cell phone to share with others the opportunity to speak with the former president, or to assure friends or loved ones that they weren’t making it up.

Clinton spoke to wives and mothers far away and assured them that their husbands and sons were well.

“Happy New Year,” Clinton warmly told one loved one by cell phone, standing beside the soldier. “He’s coming home safe.”

Just before the troops arrived, Brook Palcholski, 13, a troop greeter from Hermon, had the president sign her shirt after boldly telling him that she wanted to become a cartoonist.

“I was good fodder for them [cartoonists],” Clinton told her. “There were some for me and some against me.”

Brook later said she vaguely remembered Clinton’s presidency from when she was little. But most recently, she said, she saw him in animated form on the cartoon “The Family Guy.”

With the troops greeted, Clinton got back on his plane at 10 p.m. for the trip home.