Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Kalbfus a Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania zuwa tsohuwar Mary Electra Jones da Dr. Joseph Kalbfus, mashahurin masanin kiyaye namun daji wanda ya yi aiki a matsayin babban mai kare dabbobi na jihar Pennsylvania da kuma sakataren zartarwa na Hukumar Kula da Wasanni na Jihar shekaru da yawa. Ya halarci Selwyn Hall a Reading, Pennsylvania kafin a nada shi daga jihar Pennsylvania zuwa Jami'ar Naval ta Amurka a Annapolis, Maryland. A matsayinsa na mai kula da kwalejin kwalejin, ya buga kwallon kafa kuma ya kasance kyaftin din kungiyar kwallon kwando a lokacin shekararsa ta farko, kuma ya horar da jirgin ruwa a lokacin bazara a cikin kwalejin kwalejin kwalejin a 1895, 1896, da 1897. A lokacin rani na 1898, a lokacin yakin Mutanen Espanya-Amurka, ya yi aiki a cikin jirgin ruwa, yana shaidawa da nutsewa da kuma yakin Santiago Bay. Daga bisani wannan lokacin rani ya shiga cikin kulle-kullen Cuba a kan jirgin ruwa na jirgin ruwa, da jirgin ruwa, da kuma gunboat. Bayan kammala karatun horo na karshe a cikin jirgin ruwa, ya kammala karatunsa daga Kwalejin Naval a 1899 kuma ya fara shekaru biyu da ake buƙata na aikin teku a matsayin mai wucewa. Tafiya zuwa tsibirin Philippine a cikin jirgin ruwa, ya shiga cikin
Tashin hankali na Philippine a cikin 1900 da 1901 a cikin jirgin ruwa da jirgin ruwa na jirgin ruwa Ya karbi kwamishinansa a ranar 27 ga Yuli, 1901.