Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Brianna Green | Giovanni Iannacco, general service assistant, and Michele Lattanzio, support service...... read more read more
The average length of service for full-time permanent employees for U.S. Federal Civil Service is 13.5 years according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). However, two Host National employees at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples have worked together for almost 30 years.
Giovanni Iannacco, general service assistant, and Michele Lattanzio, support service supervisor, provide services and expertise for official correspondence, instructions and notices, NSA directives, protocol, purchasing and more. Between the two of them, their knowledge and positive attitude have made U.S. Navy Civil Service members and Sailors feel like family.
“It’s practically like we’ve become brothers,” said Iannacco. “After 30 years, we’ve worked more together than we have stayed with our families.”
In the span of their friendship, they’ve only had one disagreement, and it wasn’t a big argument, said Iannacco.
“I don’t remember what is was for but we only had one argument,” said Iannacco. “It’s as if we are complimentary because we have different characteristics and we balance each out in that aspect.”
“My brother and sister live far away, so I took him really as my brother and same for him,” said Lattanzio, who is originally from Leche located in South East Italy. “I went to his wedding which was 27 years ago. He saw my daughter from birth grow into an adult.”
Although their friendship has remained close, the base went through dramatic changes from their first days onboard. The main base was located in Agnano about 10 minutes away from its current location.
“In the first days we were working together at the old base,” said Iannacco. “It was my first time in an office because I was a security guard (for several years). The Italian electric is 220 and the U.S. is 110. I needed to use a typewriter, and I asked him (Lattanzio) ‘which do I plug this into?’”
Lattanzio pointed to the 220 plug, and as Iannacco put the chord into the wall, half of their seven-story building went dark. Their office was located next to the Commanding and Executive officers’ suites.
“People came running in asking ‘what happened?’” said Lattanzio. “We responded with ‘oh I don’t know.’”
However, before Iannacco joined the administration department, he was a security officer at the entry control point for the base. This is where he first met Lattanzio.
“He wouldn’t let me on base because I didn’t have a pass,” said Lattanzio. “I had to drop my wife off at the entrance gate. I didn’t understand security at that time, and I was like ‘hey, it’s okay nothing is going to happen.’”
However, Iannacco refused to let him aboard.
“One of the Security Guards in the DoD Security shouted ‘Don’t let him in!’, and every now and then I say to him ‘don’t let him in!’” said Iannacco.
Even though their first impression was a bit strict, over the years the two coworkers have created a warm and friendly environment in their office.
“They have been together at dueling desks for so long they adopted a capability to finish each other’s sentences,” said NSA Naples Administration Officer Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brian Curran. “They are a real-life example of human symbiosis. Separately, they couldn’t be more different.”
Although Lattanzio is a lighthearted jokester that knows the right friends in the right places to get things done, Iannacco is hyper-focused and mission oriented, said Curran.
“Together or apart, they are fun-loving and easy-going; a true pleasure to work with,” said Curran. “I’ve never experienced anything like it anywhere else. They’ve gotten more about Support Services at NSA Naples than I will ever understand.”
For Curran, it’s reassuring to know that their shared 70-plus years of combined experience will assist him in any issue.
“We’ve been asked so many different things even offices that have nothing to do with us call and ask us things,” said Lattanzio. “After 30 years we know more or less how the procedures are and how to approach the problems.”
The strangest request was when a military member came into the office to look for supplies.
“He asked me ‘does your office have something in stock like hand cream?’” said Lattanzio. “No, we don’t have hand cream in the office.”
From odd requests to organizing and managing Command policy, the two coworkers have seen a lot change in the last 30 years.
“One specific example was for years, with no Comptroller Department, Michele and Giovanni organized and managed the entire staff’s annual budgetary requirements,” said Curran. “These guys have no limits. When NSA Naples needs something, these are the men that get it done.”
Through it all, one thing remains the same.
“We have lunch together every day,” said Lattanzio. “We’ve had lunch for the last 30 years, and I look at his plate, and I look at mine.”
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2021 08:37 |
| Story ID: | 406923 |
| Location: | NAPLES, IT |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Come Fratelli (Like Brothers), by PO1 Brianna Green, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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