On September 30, 2021, Molly Graham interviewed David Kennedy remotely for the NOAA 50th Oral History Project. Kennedy, born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, on June 24, 1947, has a background in anthropology and served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force before transitioning to a career in environmental research and response. His military service included flying C-130 aircraft in Alaska, supporting scientific research missions in Greenland, and working with the National Science Foundation.