Johnnie D. Ainsley is a native of Columbia, North Carolina, but graduated from nearby Creswell High School in 1969. After enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1971, he served a tour of duty at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, where he received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal for valor. He then served an additional one-year tour in Thailand in support of the Cambodian air war before being assigned to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. Ainsley graduated from Rollins College in 1977 with a bachelor of science degree, and graduated in 1986 with a master of arts degree in communication from the University of Oklahoma.In 1979, Ainsley was commissioned as a U.S. Air Force officer and assigned as the media relations director at the U.S. Air Force Air Defense Weapons Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida. While there, he made live television broadcasts on local ABC and NBC TV affiliates, as well as live reports from Kennedy Space Center on the first 10 space shuttle launches. Ainsley later became director of public affairs at an F-15 fighter wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and later public affairs director for the Air Force's E-3 AWACS air division at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. Ainsley later became the public affairs director at a regional NORAD air defense facility in Rome, New York, before returning to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where he became the primary spokesperson for air defense operations for the eastern airspace of North America, U.S. Air Force Air Defense Weapons Center, and 325th Fighter Wing. During this assignment, Ainsley deployed to the Persian Gulf where he escorted international news media into the battle areas of Iraq, Kuwait and northern Saudi Arabia. Ainsley retired from the Air Force in January 1993 with the rank of major and currently resides in Rockledge, Florida. He is married to the former Ruth Pouliot of Satellite Beach, Florida, and has four children, Lisa, Karen, Eric and Susan.

Johnnie D. Ainsley is a native of Columbia, North Carolina, but graduated from nearby Creswell High School in 1969. After enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1971, he served a tour of duty at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, where he received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal for valor. He then served an additional one-year tour in Thailand in support of the Cambodian air war before being assigned to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. Ainsley graduated from Rollins College in 1977 with a bachelor of science degree, and graduated in 1986 with a master of arts degree in communication from the University of Oklahoma.In 1979, Ainsley was commissioned as a U.S. Air Force officer and assigned as the media relations director at the U.S. Air Force Air Defense Weapons Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida. While there, he made live television broadcasts on local ABC and NBC TV affiliates, as well as live reports from Kennedy Space Center on the first 10 space shuttle launches. Ainsley later became director of public affairs at an F-15 fighter wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and later public affairs director for the Air Force's E-3 AWACS air division at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. Ainsley later became the public affairs director at a regional NORAD air defense facility in Rome, New York, before returning to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where he became the primary spokesperson for air defense operations for the eastern airspace of North America, U.S. Air Force Air Defense Weapons Center, and 325th Fighter Wing. During this assignment, Ainsley deployed to the Persian Gulf where he escorted international news media into the battle areas of Iraq, Kuwait and northern Saudi Arabia. Ainsley retired from the Air Force in January 1993 with the rank of major and currently resides in Rockledge, Florida. He is married to the former Ruth Pouliot of Satellite Beach, Florida, and has four children, Lisa, Karen, Eric and Susan.