Naval Air Station Keflavik wins First Zumwalt Award

Navy Supply Corps Newsletter, March-April, 2003 by Dave Hoyt, Rex Burman

KEFLAVIK, ICELAND--"Being one of the best bachelor housing facilities in the Navy means meeting or exceeding the highest industry standards," states the Navy Bachelor Housing web site. Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik has proven they are now one of the best by earning their first dual five-star rating in both permanent party and transient quarters and capping that achievement with their first Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt award for excellence in bachelor housing management.

In order to attain this prestigious award, the staff at the NAS Billeting Division underwent an exacting accreditation process beginning with a self-assessment that is forwarded to the installation management claimant. If the claimant feels the facility is of five-star caliber, a team will inspect and validate the assessment. Each facility receives a "star rating."

A three-star rating means the facility has achieved a higher standard than more than one-third of all facilities. A five-star rating, such as the Zumwalt Award, means "the operation provides facilities and services equivalent to or better than those provided by top-quality residence halls and mid-grade commercial hotels," according to the web site.

Three, four and five-star ratings are only given to "superior" operations.

Keflavik has come a long way from the early bachelor quarters of yester-year and achieved standards of comfort, quality and service equal to or better than that provided by major university residence halls and commercial hotels. The renovation of enlisted quarters began in 1992. A total of 14 enlisted barracks housing primarily Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel were designed to exceed current Navy standards for living space per person.

Military members in pay grades E-1 through E-4 have their own bedroom and share a connecting kitchenette and bath with a roommate. Two-room suites are offered to E-5s and E-6s.

All bachelor quarters buildings have a laundry facility, a gym, and a community lounge and kitchen.

Single and unaccompanied officers also enjoy their new quarters. The first of five officer/senior enlisted BQs planned for renovation opened in October with 24 individual two-room suites. Each suite has a bedroom, kitchenette, private bath, and living room. Like their enlisted counterparts, the building also has a laundry facility, gym, and a community lounge and kitchen. Two more BOQs will be fully renovated by 2004.

Given the extreme environment and requirement for all active-duty military members to live on the station, NAS Keflavik has devoted considerable resources to the rehabilitation effort to provide the best possible living conditions.

As the single largest "hotel" in all of Iceland, NAS Keflavik transient quarters provide travelers with the highest quality accommodations at affordable prices. The front desk and housekeeping staff are all local host nation civilian employees who take a great amount of pride in their work. The staff cares for over 300 transient and rotational guest rooms, including a building reserved for members of the forward-deployed Patrol Squadron, as well as seven suites specifically reserved for numerous senior officers and distinguished civilian guests who stop in Iceland during trips to and from Europe and the Middle East.

The Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt award was presented to Naval Air Station Keflavik Commanding Officer, CAPT Dean M. Kiyohara, in January at the Professional Housing Management Association conference in Nashville, Tenn.

Commander Dave Hoyt, SC, USN, Supply Officer Lieutenant Junior Grade Rex Burman, SC, USNR, Billeting Officer U.S. Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland

CDR Dave Hoyt's previous assignments include the Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa; Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Yokosuka, Japan; USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70); Fighter Squadron 101 and USS Phoenix (SSN 702). He holds a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Albany and an M.P.A. from the University of Oklahoma.

LTJG Rex Burman's previous assignments include Customer Service, Postal and Disbursing Division Officer on board USS Frank Cable (AS 40). He is a graduate of San Diego State University.