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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Talent to break ground on new plaza Monday ... Fire caused by unattended fire pit torches east Medford attic ... Police/fire cost explanation doesn't add up ... Talent to break ground on new plaza Monday ... Fire caused by unattended fire pit torches east Medford attic ... Police/fire cost explanation doesn't add up ... Four local sailors serve together All are Ashland High School graduates deployed aboard same carrier USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — Four Ashland natives will spend the holidays deployed in the Middle East aboard the Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Comment By From U.S. Navy Public Affairs MailTribune.com By From U.S. Navy Public Affairs Posted Dec. 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM Updated Dec 23, 2010 at 3:00 AM By From U.S. Navy Public Affairs Posted Dec. 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM Updated Dec 23, 2010 at 3:00 AM » Social News USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — Four Ashland natives will spend the holidays deployed in the Middle East aboard the Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Capt. Kevin Meenaghan, Lt. Cmdr. Brett Stevenson, Lt. Dan Metz and Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Amorelli, all Ashland High School graduates, are stationed together aboard the Lincoln, currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, which covers the entire Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Horn of Africa. Meenaghan, a Navy captain and 1982 AHS graduate, is the chief of staff for the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. A 25-year Navy veteran, Meenaghan is responsible for all aspects of planning and operations for the strike group's eight ships, as well as leading the admiral's staff of 100 Navy personnel. Meenaghan, who is on his ninth deployment, is an EA-6B pilot and spent most of his career in the Pacific Northwest, primarily at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. Also deployed during the holidays is Lt. Cmdr. Brett Stevenson, a 1989 AHS graduate and son of Southern Oregon University professors Linda and Roger Stevenson. Stevenson enlisted in the Navy in 1990, serving in the air crew and aviation ordnance fields. He was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in 1998 and was designated a naval flight officer in 2000. Stevenson flies the EA-6B Prowler based at NAS Whidbey Island, where he has resided since 2000. Brett is on his ninth overseas deployment, including four in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lt. Dan Metz didn't join the Navy immediately after his 1991 AHS graduation. After graduating from Willamette University, he worked in the Mail Tribune advertising department for two years and then in the advertising and public relations field in Portland until 2001. As an aviation supply officer, Metz supports the nine aircraft squadrons embarked on the Lincoln with the repair parts, supplies and logistics they need to maintain mission-capable aircraft in support of operations New Dawn and Enduring Freedom. Metz plans to attend graduate school to earn an MBA when the Lincoln returns from deployment. Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Amorelli is an aviation search and rescue swimmer with one of the Lincoln's helicopter squadrons. Both Metz and Amorelli attended Willamette University; Metz graduated in 1995 with a degree in English and political science and Amorelli in 2000 with an art degree, and both were in the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Amorelli resides in San Diego with his wife, Jill. Before the Navy, Amorelli taught pre-school and kindergarten in Taiwan and then spent several years employed by Advanced Photo and Imaging in Ashland. He was head coach of Superior Stingray Swim Club and enlisted in the Navy in May 2008. The Lincoln is currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts to establish conditions for regional stability. Based in Everett, Wash., the USS Abraham Lincoln and its embarked air wing comprise nearly 5,000 men and women and provide one-third of the fixed-wing close-air support for ground forces in Afghanistan through Operation Enduring Freedom. For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln, see www.navy.mil/local/cvn72 or www.facebook.com/usslincoln. By From U.S. Navy Public Affairs MailTribune.com By From U.S. Navy Public Affairs Posted Dec. 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM Updated Dec 23, 2010 at 3:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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