"White House officials originally said that Bush was making the dramatic jet trip because the ship was too far out to sea to be reached by helicopter... But the carrier was just 30 miles from shore by the time he arrived, and officials said it had slowed down so that Bush could spend the night on board before the USS Abraham Lincoln docks today, extending by one day the sailors' almost 10-month deployment at sea, the longest by a carrier in 30 years." —Boston Globe
So he'll happily pilot a jet for a photo-op, to gloat over a victory in a mostly one-sided war other people fought for him, and slow the boat so he can play soldier in a sleepover.
But he wouldn't fight when he had the chance.