William Ridenour was born in Springfield, Ohio. Ridenour’s professional experience includes working as a defense intelligence officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency and chief of strategic policy with the Pentagon. He served in
the U.S. Marine Corps from 1980 to 2000. Ridenour earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in 1980, a graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2000, and a graduate degree from the Marine Corps War College in 2017.