Samantha Update 12/08/2012

Hi Friends of Samantha,

It’s been about 6 months since my last update So I’ll try to hit the highlights. First the present: Samantha is coming home for Christmas leave. She will get home late on the 17^th and leave on the 26^th. We will have a bon fire and open house on Friday, the 21^st from 6pm, till the fire goes out.  Please stop by and say hi to Samantha.

So in my last update the BUSH was stationed in Norfolk and spending a lot of time conducting training off the coast. I was able to spend a weekend with Samantha in July. We spent some time with our friend, Air Force Major Russ Baker. Russ usually works in Tampa, but was on assignment in Norfolk the weekend I was there.

The real reason I went to Norfolk was that Samantha invited me to go to a KISS concert in Virginia Beach with her and three of her buddies.  It was my 30^th KISS concert.  It was their first.  It Was AWESOME!  They had fun too! 🙂

Shortly after that, the BUSH went into the shipyards in Portsmouth for a 4 month overhaul.  Petty Officer Myhre was assigned temporary duty with the Damage Control Task Force. Her detail was assigned to remove and strip water tight doors.  The doors – there are several thousand on the ship, must be refurbished to ensure they are water tight to prevent flooding. They were sent off ship to be finished and then returned.  Samantha’s crew then re-installed them.

These pictures were posted on the ships facebook page.  Hard and dirty work.

And speaking of facebook pages.  This picture was posted on the Navy’s advancement page:

I guess that means it’s time to study!

Last month the ship hosted a holiday party at a nearby convention center.  Alexa flew up to attend with Samantha and they both had a great time.

Our Thanksgiving holiday tradition is to celebrate with our good friends at the Sommers home.  Samantha couldn’t get away this year, so we did the next best thing and used the serviceman’s best friend; SKYPE!  Here she is spending air time with some of her family: Mom, Marisol, and Joe.

 

Last Saturday the BUSH went to sea for the first time in 4 months. On the way out she paid respects to my old ship, USS ENTERPRISE.  Enterprise was being deactivated that same day after 51 years in the service of America. BUSH signal flags send: “BRAVO ZULU Big E” = Well Done ENTERPRISE. Here is a picture taken from the Big E as BUSH drives by.

So that brings us to today.  Samantha is sick at home this weekend. I told her to eat oranges and take Nyquil and get better fast so you can come home!  She misses her mommy very much.  Samantha will get 10 days leave for Christmas.  So please stop by and say hello on Friday night, December 21^st..  We’ll have the fire going so bring a chair.

Thanks again to all our friends who keep our service Men and Women in your prayers.  Please take a minute to shoot Samantha a call, text, or email.  She’d love to hear from you.

Samantha’s PO Box for snail mail is:

Samantha Myhre

PO Box 9879

Norfolk, VA. 23505

Thanks to all for your support for Samantha.  God Bless you.  And God Bless America.

Curt

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a check made payable to: “The United States of America”.

For an amount of: “up to and including my life.”

That is Honor.

Samantha Update 06/10/2012

Hi Friends of Samantha!

So it’s been six months since my last update.  Samantha and the USS GEORGE H W BUSH returned from their first deployment in December.  Samantha was able to come home for Christmas leave and that was great!  She got to sleep in her own room and her old bed.  We had a nice party/reception and she got to see her family and friends.  Here she is showing her cousins Angel, Richelle, and Alyssa pictures from her ‘round the world cruise.

During her Christmas leave she took a day and put on her uniform and went to Olympia and St. Andrews schools to say hi.  At St. Andrews, she was asked to talk to the kids in all the classes.  This picture of her and Amy Sommers made it into the yearbook.

On the drive back to Norfolk in January, Samantha and Mom stopped off near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to see her cousin Naomi and her new son, Caden.

Since then the BUSH has been in and out of Norfolk on many three and four week training missions up and down the East coast.  Here’s a beautiful picture of the ship with an MV-22 Osprey on the deck.  Another first for the BUSH, and the NAVY!

In March, Mom and Dad flew up to Norfolk and spent a long weekend with Samantha.  Dave and Kerri Hanon drove over from Tennessee and got the full, Samantha tour guide treatment.  Here we are just off the Bridge.

The Captain of the ship comes out here for the occasional cigar.  As I’ve told you in the past, the Captain is a Cheese head.  Here’s a picture of his ashtray..

Here’s IT3 Myhre outside the “Radio Shack” – Main Communications on the BUSH.

We had a great time seeing our Baby again for a way to short, but fun weekend.

The last six months have been very busy for Samantha.  Besides being mostly at sea, she didn’t waste her time when she was on dry land.  She moved in with her friends Sara and Mark Garzia for a couple months while waiting for her off ship housing. (Mark just made Petty Officer 3^rd Class.  BM3 Garzia. Way to go “Boats”!)  At the beginning of May, she was assigned her own off-ship berthing on the base. She has a nice one bedroom apartment all to herself.  No roommates this time!  And because she now has a car, she’s starting to feel like she has a bit of a life.

She found out she has a bit of her Grandma Myhre’s travel agent blood in her veins.  She planned a weekend trip for about 16 of her shipmate buddies to go to an anime convention in Washington D.C.  She booked the tickets and hotels and coordinated the convoy drive up and activities for the weekend. One night they attended a formal ball.  Here’s Samantha and her shipmate Rand Holder.

Then back to work.  And back to sea.  Here she is in a picture from the ships’ Facebook page, taken during damage control training. She is wearing a fire resistant hood.

Here she is on a hot day while doing maintenance on antennas near the flight deck.  I don’t think the fan is Navy Issue…

And after another month at sea, she went back to Washington for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  She spent one whole day in the park, running from monument, to monument.

 

And here she is at the Vietnam Memorial.  She got the park rangers to pencil-etch the name of my OPD friend, Dave Morrill’s Dad – a Marine F-4 pilot, lost during the war.

Samantha also came home for the weekend to attend the annual Memorial Day party at Club Myhre.  It was nice to see her and get to spend just a little time together.  We went to see Kenny Loggins in concert in downtown Orlando on Saturday night and had a nice party on Monday.

Then back to work, and back to sea.

Here she is in her Dress Whites.  The BUSH has been busy with training, and being host to quite a few ceremonies.

This weekend, the USS GEORGE H W BUSH was off the coast of Maine.  On Sunday, CVN-77 was host to the Bush family.  Former President, and ships namesake, George H W Bush flew out to the ship to perform a re-enlistment ceremony for 77 BUSH sailors.  Also on board was former President George W Bush, his brother Jeb, and all their wives and children.  The day before, during the rehearsal for the ceremony, IT3 Myhre was assigned as the stand-in for Barbara Bush!  They must have needed someone with culture and grace…

Here is a great picture of The BUSH at sea, off the coast of Maine, just behind the Bush’s Kennebunkport home.

So in spite of being “back in the states”, she has been working every day and been to sea more than at the pier.  She has just over 2 years left on this enlistment.  No plans either way yet.  It’s still too early.  But she would like to visit the Pacific side of the world next.  That’s were Japan is and she always wanted to go there.

Samantha, the travel agent, did call to say that she had put together a trip for several of her friends to a KISS concert in Virginia Beach in July and said she ended up with an extra ticket.  She asked if I knew anybody that might want to go?!

So my next update might have more concert pictures than Samantha pictures!  Until then, her Navy adventure continues. Please take a minute to shoot Samantha a call, text, or email.  She’d love to hear from you.

Samantha now has a PO Box for snail mail.

Samantha Myhre

PO Box 9879

Norfolk, VA. 23505

Her ship email is the same; myhresa@cvn77.navy.mil

Thanks to all for your support for Samantha.  God Bless you.  And God Bless America.

Curt

“Evil doesn’t content itself with just this race, or just this nation. Evil consumes until there is nothing Good left in the world.”

IT3 Samantha Myhre

 

 

Samantha Update 04/20/2012

IT3 Samantha Myhre proved to be a top notch tour guide when Master Chief (uncle) Dave Hanon brought 20 Reserve Chief Petty Officers to the BUSH for a tour.  Uncle Dave reports the chiefs were very impressed.

Samantha Update 03/20/2012

ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 20, 2012) An MV-22 Osprey maneuvers on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during test operations. George H.W. Bush is in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian M. Brooks/Released)

 

Samantha Update 02/04/2012

Throughout the next six months, the USS GEORGE H W BUSH, CVN-77 will be the East coast “surge carrier”. They will be at sea and training and be ready to go for any emergency.

Samantha Update 01/17/2012

Hi Friends of Samantha!

Just a short update to let you know the latest.  First of all and maybe most important:

TODAY IS SAMANTHA’s 21st BIRTHDAY!!!   Wooowhoooo!!!!!!

Please take a moment and send Samantha an email or text and wish her the best.

Last weekend her shipmate buddies did have a small party for her and she got her favorite cake and some nice gifts.

Today the Navy has seen fit to assign her the duty.  So she must stay on the ship for 24 hours and work. (Dad’s ok with thatJ).  For her Birthday she worked from 0600 to 5pm.  She called to say she was going to bed because she has to be back at 11pm to work over night until 0600.  Next time you feel tired after an eight hour day, think about our Troops.  Happy Birthday Buddy.

Samantha did have a nice Christmas holiday leave period.  She was home for almost 2 weeks and was excited to get a chance to see most of her friends. (Thanks Big Daddy Signs).

She spent one day in uniform at Olympia High School visiting her teachers and counselors, and at St. Andrews visiting and answering questions and talking to the kids.  We had a nice open house and she spent the day showing her personal pictures from her round the world cruise.  Here’s Jennifer, Amy, Samantha and Gabby.

Although she couldn’t tell us everything:  Shhh!  Secret!

These are some of the pictures from the cruise stories I’ve told you about on earlier updates.

Here’s a picture of her in the Dubai desert.

– Waiting for the tire to be changed.

Here’s a picture of her in front of the Grand Mosque.  You may remember that she chose not to go inside because she would have had to cover up.  In this picture you can see that she is surprised by the religious police who were approaching and tried to stop her from even being in a picture in front of the Mosque without a covering.

Here is a picture of the Captain of the USS GEORGE H W BUSH, Captain “Lex” Luther, during one of the Steel Beach Party’s.  The Captain is a Cheese Head!  Go Pack!

On the way home, the BUSH stopped in France.  Samantha spent time in Paris and loved seeing all the famous art in The Louvre, museum of art.

Here she is at “The Mona Lisa”

And here in a Mary Tyler Moore moment at the Eiffel Tower.

After the BUSH returned to Norfolk, The West Orange Times featured Samantha and Mom:

Because she saved her money during the cruise, she was able to buy a nice used car and paid cash!  Here is Samantha and her new, 04 Ford Focus.

When her leave was over, she and Mom drove together to Norfolk.  They took the long way and stopped to see Cousin Naomi in Tennessee near Pigeon Forge, and Uncle Dave on an undisclosed mountain top, somewhere north of there. They then drove to Norfolk and Christina flew home.

Since then, IT3 Myhre has been back to work. She’s been part of the skeleton crew while the other half of the crew takes their holiday leave.  She loved seeing everyone over the Christmas break.  She’s very glad to be back home in America!  And she is happy to have a car now so she can come and go as she likes.  The BUSH will soon start training again. And we don’t yet know what the future schedule will bring.
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and encouragement for Samantha.  I’ll keep you posted on her ongoing NAVY adventure.

God Bless America,

Curt

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a check made payable to: “The United States of America”.

For an amount of: “up to and including my life.”

That is Honor.

 

 

Samantha Update 12/30/2011

Home for the holidays

Christina Myhre (left) of Gotha welcomes her daughter, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Samantha Myhre, who recently returned home from deployment overseas. An Olympia High graduate, Myhre is an information systems technician and petty officer 3rd class assigned to the Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush. During the past year, the ship spent time in the Mediterranean and Arabian seas.

(West Orange Times)

Samanth Update 12/15/2011

TIGER CRUISE 2011

Hi Frieds of Samantha!

OK gang.  Our Tiger Cruise weekend was just fantastic!   But I can’t fit it all in one update.  So strap in tight and I’ll hit just the really high – highlights.  Get with us on Saturday  at 2pm at Club Myhre for the details, (see below).

What a week!  On Thursday, December 8^th, we got up and out early and drove to Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville. Christina, Alexa and I were joined by Bob Whitman.  Bob’s daughter Andrea is a church friend of Alexa’s. Bob’s other daughter Tamera is married to Justin Seeley from Apopka.  Justin is the bow catapult safety Petty Officer on the Bush, (an ABE!).  Small world.

We got to the pier at about 0930 and the BUSH was unloading sailors to make room for us.  About 1000 Tigers were standing in the security lines waiting for our sponsors to come off the ship and get us.

Soon we got a call from Samantha and started playing electronic “Marco – Polo” to find us in the crowd.

Mom’s First Hug!

The Myhre’s

We gave Samantha the promised Chick Filet sandwich – her first America food, and said goodbye for now to Mom.  Christina drove home and flew up to Norfolk the next day.  We got through security and got checked onto the ship.  Samantha took us to our Berthing space – where sailors sleep – and let us get settled in.  I’m happy to announce that the Navy HAS made the racks longer than in my day, and I fit fine.

The captain got on the PA, (1MC) and welcomed us all to the most expensive stair-master in the world.  So we went up 5 flights of ladders to “the Roof” (Flight Deck) to look around and watch the ship pull out of Mayport. The Myhre girls got together again.

Samantha exercising her cell phone after it spent the last 7 months in her locker.

Dad and Samantha reunite our matching Navy Para-cord bracelets, (Thanks Rick Chiero). Wonder Twin powers ACTIVATE!

We cleared the channel just after 3pm, and while a cruise ship has an abandon ship drill, we had a man overboard drill. We made our way back to Samantha’s office – Main Radio, for a head count. That finished, we went to dinner, then more exploring. It wasn’t long before the civilians were exhausted and had to call it a night.

We woke up the next morning and at 0800, attended a Burial at Sea on aircraft elevator #3.  In a ceremony that has changed very little in the last 200 years, the remains of a retired Navy Commander were remanded to the deep.  His son, and grandson attended.  His grandson is a Petty Officer on the BUSH. Wow,

After that we made our way down to the mess decks to get something to eat.  But it was already very busy and the lines were pretty long.  We tried to stay in line and out of the way… (so dad took pictures).

Anyway.  We spent the rest of the day on the roof watching an air power demonstration which, since we at sea, included an F-18 mach 1+ pass with a sonic BOOM!  That was followed by a sea power demo – 2 destroyers and a cruiser came along side and fired their weapons.  All very cool.

After dinner, we had movie night in the hanger deck, Captain America.  And then we went to bed. But most of the sailors stayed up.  Some were on duty.  Some were working on equipment.  Some were cleaning and stowing.  Some were packing equipment for off load.  And the rest simply had channel fever and, after 7 months at sea, they were pacing, and talking and anxiously wondering what tomorrow would be like.

Saturday morning was a blur.  We got up and got packed and had breakfast.  By then we were close enough to see the coast.  And get cell phone signals.  The hanger deck was packed with sailors and civilians chattering away.  Historically, when US NAVY ships come back into port, the sailors “Man the Rail”.  We were invited by the captain to watch the manning ceremony from the rear of the flight deck.  It was something to see.  Several hundred sailors in their Dress Blues marched around the edge of the flight deck until they completely circled the ship. And rock music was blaring from the flight deck PAs.

As we neared the Base, Christina called me from the pier. She was surrounded by thousands of Navy family members who could just see the BUSH come into view. All of them began screaming and crying.  As the BUSH made the corner passed the barriers, even the very serious machine gun crews relaxed.

As we lined up to pier 14, the music became patriotic, and our vision blurred.  And although the captain had asked the off duty sailors and civilians to stand back away from the sailors on the rail, it was more than we could take.  As we came to the pier and the lines were sent over the final song, the ships breakaway song was played: Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue!”  The sailors stood taller, and you could hear the families on the pier cheer and wave.

We called each other’s phones, and pointed out landmarks to catch eyes, and wave.

Hi Mom! (Center of the photo at the bottom of the rail)

The longshoremen on the pier set a Navy record by taking only 45 minutes to get the gangways up and then the contest winner came off.  The night before, the families get together for a party.  They have a drawing to see who will get “the first kiss”.  That sailor is allowed off the ship first.  Then come all the sailors who are new Dads – babies born since they’ve been gone.  That done, the 1000 sailors that got off the ship early – in Mayport, France, or before, come on the ship to relieve the on-duty crew in place.  Then the captain calls on the PA:  LIBERTY CALL FOR ALL HANDS!!

All in all it was an experience we’ll never forget.  Let me testify to the strength and honor of your American hero’s.  Less than 1% of the population of America is in the military.  And less than 20% even qualify for military service.  They have chosen a hard life.  And they are humble.  Each of them thinking they were nothing special.  “Just doing my job”.  I tried to shake their hands and to tell them how really awesome they are.

Please join me in a prayer of thanks for these Men and Women.  They who have stood watch on the wall, while we slept safe in our beds.    And if you’re available, please join us in saying thanks to Samantha at our house, this Saturday, December 17, 2pm until the bonfire goes out! 

Thanks to all for your support for Samantha.  God Bless you.  And God Bless America.

Curt

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a check made payable to:

“The United States of America”.

For an amount of:    “up to and including my life.”
That is Honor.

Samantha Update 12/07/2011

From the captain of the USS GEORGE H W BUSH to his crew on the occasion of the completion of their first combat deployment:

 Avenger Alley – From the Commanding Officer

by USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 8:18am

I turned 49 yesterday.

I say that only because birthdays are a time we take stock in our lives as another year ends.  A reflection made more poignant today by its timing…the first visible end of our deployment occurs today with the air wing flying off.  Two different endings but both are a cause to reflect because these endings have common questions.  Did I meet the goals I set for myself?  Am I where I want to be in my life?  Where do I go from here?

I have a challenge today because these are profound questions.  I have to answer them briefly, in a context understood by all and in a way that won’t cause the PAO to slap her hand to her forehead and complain about how I create more work for her.  I have but words to describe who I am and to describe who you are to me.  I accept the challenge.

When I grew up, there were many movies on TV that were, believe it or not, filmed in black and white.  One such movie is always aired in December, typically around this time, called “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Most of you have heard of it, some of you have seen it and a few of you love it.  I’m one of those few.  Granted, it’s a feel good movie but it does pose some difficult questions about life.  For those unfamiliar with the movie it’s about a man named George Bailey who wants nothing more than to see the world.  Instead his life works out such that he never leaves his home town.  In staying, he marries, raises a family and works to make life better for his community.  During a financial challenge at work he equates his net worth to be the worth of his life and wishes he had never been born at all.  Through the intercession of an angel he’s shown all the good he’s done in his life and that he’s actually lived ‘a wonderful life.’  The moral of the story is to appreciate the gifts you’ve been given in life.   As I grew up I thought I’d be George Bailey.  I’d get a job, raise a family in my home town and dream of seeing the world.  Instead, like you, I joined the Navy, I’ve seen the world and dream of my family.  Every year I reflect on how life works out differently than I planned and every year I take time to appreciate the gifts I’ve been given.

Some of us have been, or will be asked, as we return home after our seven month deployment and the many months at sea prior to deployment for training…was it worth the sacrifice?  Who would do that?  Or why would you leave your family for so long?  Let me, in some small way, share my thoughts on these questions.  If nothing else, I’d ask you to remember these two words…warrior and hero.

You are warriors…you have chosen a life of sacrifice and shown a willingness to endure adversity.  You live by a code – honor, courage and commitment.  You hold yourself to a higher standard.  You earned the right to serve and you have served in something larger than yourself.

You are heroes.  I’m not sure many of you would call yourselves heroes but you are to me.  There are two aspects to being a hero…there’s a heroic moment and there’s the
heroic ideal.  We are all familiar with the heroic moment…that time when an ordinary person acts in an extraordinary fashion…often at risk to his or her own life.  Whereas the heroic ideal is something you strive to live up to throughout your life.

To be a hero under the heroic ideal is to be more than human – for the Greeks they were demigods like Hercules.  Heroes were people with qualities worth imitating, people who sought and achieved excellence.  Heroes are people who answered a call to protect, to defend, to serve a greater good.  With self-restraint always and with sacrifice as necessary.  Heroes are people who act.

One of the finest qualities of a hero is modesty.  A hero just did what needed to be done.  When I’ve talked with many of you about deployment you’ve all said, “I was just doing my job.”

I shared this note from by brother earlier in deployment.

“People come to me often and ask if the rumor is true – Your brother is the captain of an aircraft carrier?  Your success and the successes of everyone on your ship are shared by so many people – it often surprises me.  Share with your crew that in this stressful mixed up world with all it’s craziness and questionable behavior most people are grounded in knowing that we have a disciplined, honorable and driven Military to bring us back to what made America great.  Show the flag of the greatest country in the world and bring yourself and everyone on board home safely.”

You all think nothing of the sacrifices or the adversity you’ve endured but you, your life, and your service are worth imitating…you are heroic.

You answered the call.  You acted.

You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished and what you were part of.  You were disciplined, honorable and you are the best of what makes America great.  You have shown the flag around the world and you will all arrive home shortly.

You have served with honor, courage and commitment.  You are a United States Sailor and you have defended freedom and democracy around the world.

You were just doing your job.

In my last job I worked on Capitol Hill as a Congressional Liaison.  The late senator from Mississippi and carrier namesake, John C. Stennis, used to leave the US Capitol each night after work via the main rotunda.  He’d stop and state out loud to whomever was with him, “Never let this become common in your eyes.”  He felt it important to recall regularly the truly extraordinary nature of our country.

I find myself doing the same thing every day as I see all of you all about our great ship making the magnificent look routine.

All of you – and everything you do – will never become common in my sight.  You are truly extraordinary.

You are warriors.

You are heroes.

My heroes.

Warm regards,

Capt. Brian “Lex” Luther

 

Samantha Update 12/05/2011

Hi Friends of Samantha!

Two days and a wake up! It’s all downhill from here.  After a brief stop in France, Samantha and the USS GEORGE H W BUSH are on the way home!  The BUSH pulled into Marseille, France for some well deserved Liberty after six weeks on the line.  No Liberty boats this time.  Marseille has a cruise ship pier that could support the BUSH.  Samantha had the duty the first day in port.  On Day 2 she took a tour of a local castle which was a national historical site.  Day 3 and 4 she took the bullet train to Paris!  She saw the sites of the city of lights including the Louvre Museum of Art.   She saw the Mona Lisa and other renown historical art pieces.  She spent the night in a hotel, and took the bullet back to the boat the next day.  Here’s a picture of the BUSH coming into  France.

That night, they left the Mediterranean Sea for the Atlantic Ocean.  Heading West, towards home.  Here is a picture of the Rock of Gibraltar at night.

Yesterday, the Captain gathered everyone who passed the latest promotional exam in to the Hanger bay for a Frocking ceremony.  Frocking allows the captain to early promote, so Samantha will be able to sew on her new patches and start the duties of a Petty Officer 3^rd Class!  Congratulations IT3 Myhre!!!

In the last couple of days, they’ve been cleaning and doing maintenance on the equipment in preparation for coming home and the Tiger Cruise. Christina, Alexa and I are going to Jacksonville FL in the next couple days to meet the ship and see Samantha for the first time in 7 months!  Then alexa and I are going to board the BUSH for a 2 day Tiger cruise to Norfolk. Is this a great Christmas, or what?!

Please remember to mark your calendars for the December 17^th open house at Club Myhre for Samantha!  Everyone please come and welcome Samantha home from her first combat deployment.  We will be here from 2pm until the bonfire goes out!  

Samantha thanks you all for your cards, letters, packages and emails.  She said they made the  last seven months just fly by, (not really, I threw that last part in because, though she REALLY loved to hear from you all, And it made it a lot more bearable, but it still felt like seven years).

Please continue to pray for Samantha, the Men and Women of the BUSH, and ALL our Troops.

God Bless America,

Curt

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a check made payable to: “The United States of America”.

For an amount of: “up to and including my life.”

That is Honor.