Lieutenant Kidwell graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 2013 and served in naval engineering billets on board the USCGC Vigorous (WMEC-627). After earning a master’s degree in data analytics, he reported to the Operations Research Post Graduate Advanced Education Program in 2018 and attended George Mason University. As a follow-on tour, he reported to the Office of Requirements and Analysis, where he later responded to the solicitation for the Data Readiness Task Force.