A native of Long Beach, California, LtCol Kim was selected to Officer Candidates Course after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Cell Biology and Neurobiology. LtCol Kim was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 11 August 2006.
Completing The Basic School and being placed on the Commanding General’s honor graduate list, LtCol Kim was given orders to Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He graduated first out of 110 Marine and Army Lieutenants and was recognized as the Distinguished Honor Graduate, Master Gunner, and Master of Fires. LtCol Kim then received orders to Battery B, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines where he held the billets of Forward Observer and Liaison Officer.
In April 2008, he was then assigned to Battery K, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines where he served as the Headquarters Platoon Commander and Fire Direction Officer. He deployed with Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan. He was then sent on a special detachment to support operations with the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines in the Southern Philippines.
Upon return to CONUS in January 2009, LtCol Kim assumed his duties as AXO/Guns Platoon Commander. On 29 May 2009, LtCol Kim assumed the duties of Battery Executive Officer until November 2009, when he became Battalion Assistant Operations Officer/Fire Direction Officer. Transferring to the 1st Marine Division Headquarters in December 2009, as an individual augment, LtCol Kim served as Current Fires Watch Officer during a deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM from March 2010 through October 2010. Upon the unit’s successful combat deployment and return to CONUS, LtCol Kim returned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines and assumed his duties as Battalion Assistant Logistics Officer until December 2010.
On 3 January 2011, LtCol Kim reported to 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) where he assumed his duties as Firepower Control Team 2 leader. In February 2011, he attended the Tactical Air Control Party Course held at Coronado, California and gained his secondary MOS of 8002, designated as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC). In May 2011, LtCol Kim deployed once again to Helmand Province, Afghanistan and supported the British reconnaissance platoons of the 3d Battalion, The Mercians and 2nd Battalion, The Rifles Regiment during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. LtCol Kim returned to CONUS in December 2011, completing his third combat deployment. On 16 January 2012, LtCol Kim assumed his duties as Supporting Arms Liaison Team (SALT) A leader. On 28 February 2012, he completed the required syllabus to be designated a JTAC-Instructor and later JTAC-Evaluator for 1st ANGLICO.
On 15 January 2013, attached SALT A to 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and subsequently deployed on WESTPAC 13.2 and returned in April 2014, completing his fourth deployment. LtCol Kim then reported to Marine Corps University for the Expeditionary Warfare School and graduated in May 2015. In June 2015, he reported to 1st Marine Division and assumed command of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines until March 2016 when he became the Battalion Logistic Officer and later on the Operations Officer. LtCol Kim finished his tour as 1st Marine Division Current Operations Officer from October 2017 through June 2018 when he attended the Naval Postgraduate School. On October 2020, LtCol Kim earned his Master of Science in Computer Science specializing in Artificial Intelligence. His thesis was “Biologically Inspired Automatic Target Detection, Classification, and Tracking”. For his utilization tour, LtCol Kim served as the Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) / Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) lead at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity where he developed and ran the MLR Battle Lab. From May 2022 through May 2024, LtCol Kim served as the 1st Marine Division Assistant Fire Support Coordinator / Division Effects Coordination Center OIC. LtCol Kim is currently assigned to 5th Battalion, 14th Marines.
His personal awards include: Meritorious Service Medal x3, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal x3, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.