Obama set to spend Thanksgiving at the White House, for now

The White House says President Obama will be spending Thanksgiving at home, but some reporters are keeping their eyes open for any movement.

The wariness is a result of the decision by some former commanders-in-chief to make surprise visits to U.S. troops abroad during the holidays.

Security concerns ensure that the press is not informed until the trip is well underway, with the exception of the small group of reporters who travel with the president known as the pool.

President George W. Bush visited troops in Iraq in 2003 after the start of the war, and in 2008 he paid an early Thanksgiving visit to troops at Fort Campbell, Ky.

His father, President George H.W. Bush, also visited troops in the Middle East. Bush Sr. met with troops in Saudi Arabia before Desert Storm began.

The younger Bush made his departure from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, allowing him a secret getaway.

If Obama does stay at the White House, which is unusual for presidents who normally enjoy the proximity of Camp David, he would certainly have a harder time sneaking out of town.

Presidential visits to war zones are hardly the norm, but they aren't unusual.

According to History News Network, President Abraham Lincoln visited troops during the Civil War. President Franklin Roosevelt met with Winston Churchill in Casablanca during World War II.

Dwight Eisenhower flew to Korea in 1952 as president-elect, and Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon both made trips to Vietnam.

Obama has flown to a war zone since becoming president.

In April, the president made an unannounced visit to Iraq after a visit to Turkey.