Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy was born in Frankfurt, Germany. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Southwestern at Memphis and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June 1969 through the Women’s Army Corps.

Her military education includes completion of the Women’s Army Corps Officer Basic Course, Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Course, the Junior Officer Cryptologic Career Program at National Security Agency, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

She served in the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence starting in May 1997.