Family, friends praise airman

Staff Sgt. Nathan Paet was remembered Tuesday as a fun-loving airman who served his country with pride and who loved his four children and his wife, Michelle.

"The Air Force is a better place for Nate's service to our country," Lt. Col. Shane Henderson, commander of the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, told mourners in the chapel at Nellis Air Force Base.

A friend and co-worker, Staff Sgt. Paul Leones, praised Paet's "great work ethic."

"He will be remembered most for his motivation, his passion, his dedication. He never stopped learning. He was never late for work," Leones said.

Paet, a 28-year-old Iraq War veteran, was gunned down at 11:30 p.m. last Wednesday after he opened his garage door to leave for Nellis from his home near Fort Apache Road and Mountain's Edge Parkway in southwest Las Vegas. He was pronounced dead a short time later at University Medical Center.

Witnesses told police they saw a man in a tan or brown hooded sweatshirt running from the scene and entering a black car.

Police continued to investigate the murder Tuesday but had no suspects or motive. They don't believe Paet was the random victim of a robbery, because evidence indicates someone was lying in wait for him as he left for work.

Michelle Paet, his high school sweetheart from Guam whom he married in February 2006, did not attend his memorial service at Nellis.

His brother, Eric Paet, remembered him for his "love and support."

"I don't know, and I can't imagine, anybody who wouldn't want to be his friend," Eric Paet said with tears in his eyes.

"He loved to live. He loved to boogie board. He loved to tinker with me. ... Nate loved to show his family out here in the states his life in Guam."

Senior Airman Monika Radcliff fought back tears as she described her friend and co-worker.

"He was humble. He wouldn't ask you to do anything he wouldn't do himself."

Radcliff said she admired Staff Sgt. Paet because he strove to be a better airman.

"He showed us how to do it by example," she said.

Nathan Joseph Villagomez Paet was born Feb. 12, 1982, in Tamuning, Guam. After graduating from high school, he joined the Air Force in April 2002.

He started his military career as an F-15C aircraft armament support team member at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

He transferred to Arizona's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in 2006 and served as a weapons load crew chief for A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack jets in the 358th Fighter Squadron.

He made a career change in 2007, training for the logistics readiness, material management field.

He transferred to Nellis Air Force Base where he served as the inbound floor supervisor for the 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron. This year he became the assistant non-commissioned officer-in-charge for the Strike Aircraft Maintenance Supply section of the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

While in Las Vegas he also coached the Dodgers T-ball team for players ages 5 to 7.

Paet is survived by his wife, Michelle; children Daynon, Nyarah, Dracyn and Davyn; father, Mateo Balajadia Paet; mother, Carmelita Blas Villagomez Paet, brothers, Matthew, Tony and Eric; and his sister, Carmela Paet.

He will be buried in Guam.

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.