127 Years of Family Serving Family: Elisabetta Basaldella, Aviano Air Base
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 127 years of family serving family.
Who she is: Elisabetta Basaldella, sales area manager, Aviano Air Base
Years with the Exchange: 19
What brought her to the Exchange: “I’ve always been around the military growing up in Aviano,” Basaldella said. “My parents’ first business was by the base, and there were a lot of GIs who came through during the Vietnam War.
“My dad would joke that I’m American since I appreciate their culture so much,” she said. “I chose to work for the Exchange because I was able to be around the military, and I wanted to be around Americans.”
Where she’s worked: Aviano Air Base
What she did at first: Basaldella’s first role was as a food service worker in the food court. In 2004, she became the supervisor at Taco Bell. She’s also been a PowerZone supervisor and temporary sales area manager for Softlines and centerpad.
What she does now: She is the sales area manager for Softlines, centerpad and sport nutrition.
Memorable moment: “During the pandemic here in Italy, some of the store departments were off-limits because the government considered them to be not essential,” Basaldella said. “A customer came in for baby supplies for his newborn. Because that department was closed, I assisted the customer with making the item requests online, and he was able to pick it up that way. Months after the restrictions were eased, he came in and showed me his baby.”
Military connections: In 1985, Basaldella married her former husband, Staff Sgt. Michael Blankenship, who was assigned to Aviano. He is now a food court manager at the Fort Carson PX. They have two children in the military: Master Sgt. Anna Lisa Blankenship, who is stationed in Okinawa; and Staff Sgt. Jordan Tyler Blankenship, who is stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Her daughter-in-law Miriana De Piante Vicin also worked for the Exchange and her son-in-law, Master Sgt. Josue Cervantes is stationed in Okinawa.
“I’m so proud of my children and their accomplishments. I hope they can come closer to Aviano, especially my grandsons. It’s hard not to see them grow up.”
Family serving family: “I wear my ‘Air Force Mom’ badge proudly to work each day,” she said. “I am always thinking about serving our Airmen as if I were their mom as well. Serving them as our family is the most important thing.”
