SAN DIEGO — Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 1 hosted a change of command ceremony onboard Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego, Dec. 8.
Cmdr. Kristina Melendez Stoner turned over the role of commanding officer to Cmdr. Max Long.
“It was an honor and a privilege to lead and serve with the officers, chiefs, and Sailors at ACU 1,” said Stoner. “I am proud of my Surfriders as they have maintained, trained on, and operated my 12 amphibious landing craft in San Diego and around the world; transporting people, weapons, and supplies to the shore from big deck amphibious ships”.
Stoner took command in June 2022, overseeing the operations of eight landing craft, utility (LCU) and four maritime prepositioning force utility boats. Under Stoner, ACU 1 supported two amphibious ready group deployments to U.S. 5th and 7th Fleets, Pacific Partnership 23, Operation Marara 22, and numerous local exercises. Stateside, ACU 1 executed nine successful board of inspection and survey material assessments.
Looking to make long-lasting improvements to the amphibious Navy, Stoner spearheaded numerous policy changes to include lifting the two LCU restriction in LHD ships, establishing a path for LCUs to certify in electronic navigation and adding the LCU craft master insignia to the military personnel manual.
“Bread and bullets win wars – ACU 1 and her counterparts are critical enablers of this,” said Stoner as she addressed her crew. “Outside of the Naval Beach Group commands, no other command in the surface Navy physically drives the fight to the beach.”
Stoner, a native of Christiansburg, Virginia, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2004 and commissioned as a surface warfare officer. Her operational assignments include serving aboard USS Chosin (CG 65) and USS Decatur (DDG 73) and at Destroyer Squadron 60 detachment Rota, Spain. Ashore, Stoner served as an admissions counselor at the United States Naval Academy; a Navy Legislative Affairs Fellow in office of Sen. Susan Collins; the executive assistant to the Navy’s Chief of Legislative Affairs; and the deputy N9 at Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
"Thanks to Cmdr. Stoner, ACU 1 is more prepared to drive the fight to the beach than it has been in over a decade,” said Long shortly after he took command. “I'm extremely honored to be allowed to carry that legacy forward."
Stoner will report as the N9 assistant chief of staff at Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Long, a native of Trenton, North Dakota, enlisted in the Navy as a Nuclear Machinist’s Mate in 1998 prior to earning his commission from the University of Kansas in 2004. His operational assignments include sea tours aboard USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), USS Freedom (LCS 1) and USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), USS Detroit (LCS 7), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
Assault Craft Unit 1, as part of Naval Beach Group 1, trains, equips, and deploys assault craft and crews to support amphibious ready group and maritime prepositioning force operations.