Petty Officer First Class Nathaniel Lynch, United States Navy

2016 U.S. Missile Defender of the Year

Petty Officer Nathaniel Lynch enlisted in the Navy on February 8, 2005 and completed Recruit Training in Great Lakes, Illinois. After graduating Fire Controlmen “A” school, he then went on to attend Aegis Computer “C” school at Aegis Training and Readiness Center, Dahlgren, Virginia. In July 2006, he reported onboard USS PHILIPPINE SEA and completed two successful deployments to the Arabian Gulf.

He returned to Dahlgren, V A for additional schooling in the Aegis Computer Network pipeline in support of his ship’s Cruiser Modernization in June 2009. His efforts during USS PHILIPPINE SEA’s Cruiser Modernization resulted in his selection as the Junior Sailor of the Year.

After completing another deployment in support of piracy, in July 2011 he transferred to Aegis Training and Readiness Center as a “CM school instructor. Petty Officer Lynch is currently stationed onboard USS JOHN PAUL JONES. Since stepping onboard in May 2015, he immediately took on the Leading Petty Officer position for CF Division and led 20 Sailors through a compressed training cycle. Petty Officer Lynch’s division simultaneously conducted 16 successful live firing missile events of which two were the longest surface to surface and surface to air missile firings in Naval history.

Defenders of the Year