Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Oak Harbor welcomes new commanding officer during change of command ceremony

OAK HARBOR, Wash. — Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Oak Harbor held a change of command ceremony July 9, 2026, on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, marking the transfer of leadership from Capt. Mark F. Lund to Capt. Teresita L. Alston during a ceremony attended by leadership, Sailors, civilians, family members and distinguished guests. During the ceremony, Alston assumed command of NMRTC Oak Harbor and responsibilities as director of Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor.

“Under Capt. Lund’s leadership, the Oak Harbor team sustained our warfighters’ health and readiness,” said Rear Adm. Kevin Brown, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific and director of Defense Health Network Pacific Rim. “He championed aviation medicine and squadron deployments across multiple theaters, expanded mental health services via telehealth, and finalized the agreement to open a Veterans Affairs community clinic within Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor. He and his team should be proud of these accomplishments. As Capt. Alston assumes command, she brings a wealth of experience and she is a proven leader who will guide this command and clinic with humility, selflessness, and transparency.”

During the ceremony, Lund reflected on his time leading the command and thanked the military and civilian staff for their commitment to patient care and mission readiness.

"When I arrived, I shared a simple philosophy: You Matter," Lund said. “Today, looking back at our journey, it is clear that you took that philosophy to heart and made this a driver of our success. You looked out for one another, you innovated, and you never lost focus: our patients — one patient at a time.”

Alston assumed command after serving as the executive officer of Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command Patuxent River. A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, she was commissioned through the Health Professions Scholarship Program and entered the Navy Dental Corps in 2006 following graduation from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine.

Throughout her career, Alston has served in a variety of operational and leadership assignments, including tours at Camp Lejeune, Naval Branch Health Clinic Parris Island, Expeditionary Medical Facility Kuwait, Naval Hospital Pensacola, 3rd Dental Battalion/U.S. Naval Dental Center Okinawa and 2nd Dental Battalion/U.S. Naval Dental Center Camp Lejeune. A board-certified periodontist, she also earned a Master of Science in Oral Biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Periodontology.

"As your Commanding Officer, I pledge to show my appreciation for your dedication, for going above and beyond, and for putting your best foot forward each day," Alston said. "I am humbled to stand before you today as your Commanding Officer. I am ready to get to work; I am ready to learn from you, I am ready to serve you, and I am ready to lead."

The transfer of command during the ceremony symbolized the formal transition of authority and responsibility from Lund to Alston, continuing the Navy's longstanding tradition of leadership succession and ensuring uninterrupted mission readiness.