Williams was born in Superior, Wisconsin, and raised in Winter, Wisconsin. During his childhood, Williams reached the rank of Star Scout, the third-highest in the Boy Scouts of America.

During the Jamboree on the Air in October 2009 he communicated with Boy Scouts in the National Scouting Museum in Texas from the International Space Station.

Williams graduated from Winter High School in Winter, Wisconsin, in 1976. He earned a degree in applied science and engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 1980, receiving his commission in the United States Army.