Brotherly Bonds: A service member's inspiration

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Every member of the U.S. military has their own reason for serving, and for Master Sgt. Ismael Paez Jr., 82nd Training Wing protocol superintendent, his is a very personal one that dwells with him to this very day.

On May 23, 2004, Paez's brother, Marine Staff Sgt. Jorge Molina, was killed in action while he was on patrol outside of Al Fallujah, Iraq, and it is his sacrifice that spurs Paez on in his Air Force career.

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Paez considered his brother a mentor, friend and role model that kept him on a good path.

"He helped raise me," Paez said. "He was a father figure to me."

Coming from a family of seven, Paez saw early on how close his familial ties were to his brother.

"He sacrificed a lot for me, my brothers and my sisters," he said.

When Paez's brother showed up at his high school graduation, it was one of the happiest moments in his life.

"It was wonderful to have my family there," he said. "It made me very happy to know I had their support and love."

Molina was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. when he was 4-years-old. As soon as he became a U.S. citizen, the first thing he did was enlist.

"That was his way of thanking this great nation of ours for the opportunities he was given," Paez commented.

Once Molina enlisted, Paez knew he wanted to do the same exact thing and enlisted in 1995.

"It's a decision I don't regret to this day," he said confidently.

When Paez was notified of Molina's death while stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan, he recounts the day with a sense of poignancy. One week later he was back in the U.S. for the funeral.

"That's the most difficult situation I've experienced in my entire life," he said somberly.

When Paez arrived at the funeral, he felt like a precious part of him had been lost.

"He was somebody we (the family) looked up to," he said. "When you have that removed, it's like losing a piece of yourself."

Despite the grief that his brother's death inflicted on him and his relatives, Paez also notes it fostered a sense of solidarity within his family.

"It brought everybody closer together," Paez said. "We started spending more time with each other."

Even to this day, Paez acknowledges the difficulty of coming to terms with what transpired that fateful day.

"It's tough, it's still tough," he continued. "You know that there is a possibility, but you never think it's going to happen to you."

Paez counts all of his accomplishments and the service he does on the daily basis as homage to his brother's memory.

"I use him as a motivational factor," he said. "I don't think of it as just me, I feel like I'm doing it for the both of us. Hopefully he and I can reach the mountain top together."

Even during times of difficulty Paez looks toward that very same memory to keep himself motivated.

"He inspires me to keep going," he said. "That's the driving force behind why I stick around."