The post office at Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland received a near-perfect score during a recent annual inspection by the U.S. Navy in Europe fleet postal officer.

“I have been inspecting postal facilities for 2½ years and this by far is the best one that I’ve seen,” said Chief Petty Officer Acia John Parker.

The facility received 276 points out of a possible 277 after an evaluation that included security, customs procedures, credit accountability and registered mail. Parker also held a question-and-answer session with the clerks, testing their knowledge of the job. “The postal clerks, even for their junior pay grades, have a level of knowledge that exceed their current or held position,” he said.

Chief Petty Officer Shawn Gibbons, the postal officer at NAS Keflavik, said, “I was very pleased with the outcome. I know the postal crew worked really hard in preparing for the inspection.”

The 11 men and women who work at the post office serve between 100 and 150 customers each day and handle 3,500 pounds of mail. They take in nearly $170,000 each month.

Flights come in daily carrying mail that must be picked up sorted and passed on. “The flights can come in anytime day or night,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Mestres, a postal clerk. “During the summertime, we get seven flights a week and the big freight comes in from John F. Kennedy Airport (N.Y.) every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with Sunday being the biggest mail day.

“We also get two flights a day from Frankfurt with local MPS mail.”

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