Kime was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. At the age of 10, he moved with his family to Baltimore, Maryland. In 1951, he graduated from Baltimore City College, and was accepted into the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland, but declined the admission offer for financial reasons. Soon thereafter, he accepted a job at the local General Motors plant, installing glove boxes in Chevrolets. The following year, he saw a television advertisement on Coast Guard careers, which inspired him to enroll at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. In 1957, Kime graduated second in his academy class. Upon graduation, he served aboard before assuming command of LORAN Station Wake Island in 1960. Continuing his education, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master's degree in naval architecture and marine engineering and the professional degree of naval engineer in 1964. He also was in charge of the structural design of the Polar-class icebreakers and was the first engineer officer on, home ported in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1977, he became a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and was assigned to headquarters as assistant chief of the Merchant Marine Technical Division. His other assignments included command of Marine Safety Office Baltimore in 1978-81, deputy chief of the Office of Marine Environment and Systems, 1981–82; chief of the Seventh Coast Guard District Operations Division, 1982–84; chief of Headquarters Office of Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection, 1986-1988. Prior to becoming Coast Guard commandant, he served as commander of the Long Beach, California-based 11th Coast Guard District and Pacific Regional Coordinator for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. It is noteworthy that Kime was promoted from rear admiral to admiral, never having held the three-star rank of vice admiral.
Commandant
As commandant, he was passionate about maritime safety and environmental protection issues, and oversaw implementation of the landmark Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and established the position of Drug Interdiction Coordinator. In the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, he pioneered how the Coast Guard prevents and responds to oil and hazardous chemical spills, significantly minimizing environmental damage. The groundwork he laid can also be seen in how the Coast Guard responds to a broad range of threats and hazards to maritime, homeland, and national security interests. His vision set the stage for the Coast Guard’s transition to focused organizational competencies in prevention and response. He led the service during the end of the Cold War, collapse of communism, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as well as increasing operations in traditional mission areas.
