Naval Career
A native of Denver, Colorado, Route graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1971, and subsequently completed a series of command and leadership assignments both within the Navy and in the Joint Service arena. He commanded the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-45), the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70), Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, and the USS George Washington (CVN-73) Carrier Battle Group. In addition to his afloat commands, he served at sea with Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two and Destroyer Squadron Four, and aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Halsey (CG-23), the frigate USS Roark (FF-1053), the guided-missile cruiser USS Wainwright (CG-28), and the destroyer USS Barry (DD-933).
Ashore, Route commanded the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC). From 9 July 2003 to 12 August 2004, he was the 50th officer to serve as President of the Naval War College since the college's founding in 1884. During his tour as president, he sharpened the college's focus on mission and relevance; initiated research, analysis, and wargaming to address key operational concerns of the U.S. Navy such as ballistic missile defense and antisubmarine warfare and established the Halsey Scholars, an advanced research program for selected students; and facilitated discussions between retired Soviet Navy officers and their American counterparts on Cold War naval history. Route assumed his duties as Naval Inspector General in August 2004 after leaving the presidency of the Naval War College. His other flag assignments included two tours on the Chief of Naval Operations staff, first as Director, Politico-Military Affairs Division (N52) and later as Director, Navy Programming Division (N80), where he developed and prioritized a multi-year spending plan for the Navy's $80–$100 billion annual budget.
Route's Pentagon assignments also included Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) for three assistant secretaries in two presidential administrations, Long-Range Planner and Surface Ship Readiness analyst in the Chief of Naval Operations's Program Resource Appraisal Division (now N81), and Naval Warfare Analyst in the Joint Analysis Directorate (now part of J8), within the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Route retired from the Navy in January 2008 after more than 36 years on active duty.
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