Rear Admiral Kinghorn is a naval engineer and surface operations specialist. He was born in Beaufort, SC and graduated from Beaufort High School in 1966. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
Rear Admiral Kinghorn served afloat as Student Engineer and Deck Watch Officer on the icebreakers Staten Island and Northwind. He was Damage Control Assistant on the High Endurance Cutter Boutwell and Engineer Officer aboard icebreaker Polar Star. Staff tours included Small Boat Type Desk and Icebreaker Type Desk in the Thirteenth District and Large Cutter Type Desk in the Fifth District. He served as Chief, Naval Engineering Branch in the Eighth District and Chief, Support Branch at Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic. As the Project Manager for the Configuration Project, he led the development of CMPlus, the Coast Guard's keystone logistics management software. RADM Kinghorn also led the recovery operations for. the derailed AMTRAK train Sunset Limited while in command of Coast Guard Group Mobile, AL. He also served as Deputy Commander, Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific.
RADM Kinghorn graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977 with the degree of Ocean Engineer, and the U. S. Army War College in 1990. He also served as a fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Study Group which developed the "network of networks" concept for naval warfare from 1995-1996.
In April 1998, he achieved flag rank and was appointed to the position of Director, Office of Intelligence and ·Security in the Department of Transportation. He served as the Secretary of Transportation's principal liaison to the Intelligence Community and had policy responsibility for security in all transportation modes. He also served as the Secretary's national security advisor.
His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. He was recognized as the Puget Sound Engineering Council's Engineer of the Year in 1983. He was a Coast Guard Foundation Award recipient in 1993.