James Keffer was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1963, the son of a city policeman and a nurse. He grew up loving basketball, baseball, tennis, and books. He graduated high school in 1981 and attended Youngstown State University to study mechanical engineering.
James left college in 1984 to enter the United States Air Force. After basic training, he was posted to the 2143rd Communications Squadron at Zweibruecken Air Base, West Germany. While he was stationed there, he met and married his wife, Christine, whose father was also assigned to the base. Zweibruecken Air Base closed in 1991, and James and Christine were transferred up the road to Sembach Air Base. He worked in communications for the 2134th Communications Squadron, then became the LAN manager for HQ 17th Air Force.
James received an honorable discharge in 1995, and he and his wife moved to Florida to attend Trinity Baptist College. He graduated with honors in 1998, earning a bachelor of arts degree. He currently lives and works in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and three children.