Toeing the Line

Staff Sgt. Lonnie Isaac slowly walks into a well-lit corridor at work. It’s deathly quiet. An automatic reaction to rising before the birds, Isaac rubs the sleep from his eyes.

It’s 4:30 a.m., and he’s already been up for about half an hour. “It’s too early,” he said of his least favorite part of the day.

Long before many people get up, Isaac has already showered, kissed his wife and kids goodbye and driven to work. He also is probably still working after many people leave for the day.

Isaac is a military training instructor. He — like other MTIs — does what it takes to shape the future of the Air Force. He can yell at someone, tell the individual to do it over, tell a trainee to “Get out of here,” and tell a young airman what almost everyone on active duty can remember: “Give me a 341.” This is all done in the name of discipline.


CONTINUE . . .


by Staff Sgt. Cheryl L. Toner
Air Force Print News
photos by Tech. Sgt. Lono Kollars, USAFR

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