Brotherly bonds through hardship

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jose L. Hernandez-Domitilo
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  With his eyes forward, feet shoulder-width apart and hands at the small of his back, he stood at parade rest. All around him, fellow basic trainee graduates were greeted one by one with smiles and hugs from their loved ones.

Despite the lively sounds of congratulations and praises that filled the atmosphere, it was a sad moment for Airman 1st Class Elijah Rasheed. His family was not there to celebrate his graduation from basic military training. They simply didn't have the money to make the trip from Knoxville, Tennessee, to San Antonio.

While it was an emotional moment for Rasheed, he understood the difficulties of the situation because he was all too familiar with the economic struggles he and his younger siblings had endured growing up.

As a 9-year-old 4th grader, the perversion of drugs on his parents began to greatly impact his childhood.

"At the time, I was too young to know what was happening," said Rasheed. "But now that I'm older I understand."

The instances where toys around the house suddenly went missing were because his parents had sold them and used the money to quell their addiction.

"I began to notice that my mom and dad started having people over late at night and they began to buy less food for the house," he said.

This left him and his younger siblings with empty stomachs some nights. Even though he was only a young boy, he knew that as the oldest of his siblings, it was up to him to take care of them.

"I realized I had to find a way to earn money for me and my brothers to eat," Rasheed said. "Some of my cousins had started doing yard work, so I followed suit."

Not understanding the value of money, he would rake leaves and work other landscaping jobs for only a couple dollars each job. All he cared about was that it would buy him and his brothers their favorite food at the local dollar store -- hot dogs and chips.

When there wasn't work to be found, he would look for other means to provide for his brothers.

"At times I didn't know what I was doing; I was just trying to feed my little brothers. I would do anything for them," Rasheed said. "Sometimes I'd walk the streets looking for change to buy my brothers something to eat before they went to sleep."

All the while, he was going to school trying to make the best of his situation. However, after reaching the fifth grade, Rasheed's father left the house for good which sent him on a downward trend and his grades began to drop.

"My mother, who was still around, would let me stay out for days at a time with no curfew and I would go to school whenever I felt like it," said Rasheed.

This lasted for almost a year until his aunt moved him and his brothers to her house in South Carolina. She helped them get back on the right track, and soon his days of missing school were over for good.

"I could never go outside and all the free time I previously had was filled up with chores, school and church activities," said Rasheed. "My aunt even tried to get us to sing in the church choir."

After spending almost three years with his aunt, his mother had rehabilitated from her drug use.

Seeing his mother struggle financially, he decided he wanted to help take care of her.

"We all moved back in together and I got a job to help take care of them," Rasheed said.  "At this point I was already used to taking care of my brothers."

With plenty of drug and gang violence in the neighborhood, he was wary it would affect his younger brothers.

"I did my best to set an example for them and I tried my best to be the father figure in their lives that we never really had," he said.

Throughout his time in high school he helped pay for bills, kept track of his siblings' schoolwork and grades, and even attended parent-teacher conferences on his mother's behalf.

"I thought of them as my kids," said Rasheed.

During his sophomore year in high school, he made a pact with his friends to accomplish great things and not throw his life to the wayside. He saw an opportunity to make that happen by starting a life in the military.

"I couldn't change the fact that my parents had made bad decisions with their lives," he said. "But what I did know was that I didn't have to make the same mistakes they did."

Witnessing other friends enlist and begin a new life in the military, it wasn't long before he was right there with them. Upon graduating high school he made a decision to enlist in the Air Force.

From early on he took charge, just as he had done as a young boy. He went from an element leader in basic training, to head of the black ropes in technical training, to being selected to take the lead on projects in the 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment element.

"I feel that my upbringing helped prepare me for the Air Force and anything else I may need to do in the future," said Rasheed.

Doing what is right and necessary, as well as taking responsibility for one's own actions are two concepts he came to understand at a young age. Just as he would do anything for his brothers, he knows he would do the same if his military service asked it of him.

Tech. Sgt. Richard Villa-Ignacio, 35 LRS individual protective equipment, said from early on he noticed Rasheed's strong work ethic.

"He began to take initiative himself to get the job done," said Villa-Ignacio. "One time, he asked me if he could come in to work at 3 a.m. to start working on our inventory."

For a young Airman to take have the drive to ask to come in on such early hours of the work day made him feel accomplished, said Villa-Ignacio. He knew what was asked of him would always get done.

It was both at work and off-duty that Rasheed displayed leadership skills as well said Villa-Ignacio.

"He didn't want to volunteer for simple tasks or things," Villa-Ignacio said. "He always wanted bigger roles."

One thing that stood out to Villa-Ignacio was seeing Rasheed's desire to strive for greater things and he hopes it can have a positive impact throughout his career.

For Rasheed, the transition from civilian life to a demanding career has been seamless.

"The life I lived has given me the strength to see my job through to the end. I feel like it made me strong," said Rasheed. "I have no problem staying at work late or doing what needs to be done to complete the mission."

As he looks back, he is proud of knowing the inspiration he has given his younger brothers to succeed. His youngest brother, Xavier, followed his footsteps and recently joined the U.S. Army.

His other brother, Darius, said his favorite thing about Rasheed is his personality because no matter how bad things got, he could always make him laugh and feel better.

"It's impossible to be mad around him because we could be going through the toughest times but he still finds a way to make it better," said Darius.

Having Rasheed around while growing up in that tough environment was something Darius said he is grateful for.

"I can't imagine it being any other way. He's my big brother and has always been there," said Darius. "That's why I'm trying to be like him."

Whether it is by being the first to step up to the plate to accomplish what needs to be done or leading by example, he said he hopes his actions can one day influence other Airmen just as he influenced his younger brothers.

"They look up to me," said Rasheed. "I try my hardest in my career doing everything I can to set the bar as high as possible for my brothers, with the hopes that they'll eventually have the strength do the same for their children."