The USS Kingston was a Starfleet vessel geared toward scientific exploration and research. Donavin's parents, however, were not enlisted in Starfleet. They were simply brought along on a long term mission into deep space as they were seen to be the most qualified in their fields. It was on this long-range mission that Donavin was born, and where he spent the first 8 years of his life. From then until age 18, he lived with his parents as they traveled from one posting to another, sometimes with Starfleet and sometimes as part of projects of their own. More rarely, as part of a scientific team of specialists assigned a major project. As such, he was used to the ways of life when conducting work in the field. And, he had the advantage of being able to observe, and occasionally participate in, tasks ranging from piloting shuttlecraft and, though rarely, larger ships to operations of ship's security.