He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938 from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

In February 1943 Burchinal became operations officer and later, deputy commander for the 330th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo, New Mexico, and Biggs Field, Texas.

Remaining at Biggs Field, Burchinal was reassigned in July 1943 to the XX Bomber Command as assistant A-3 for the 16th Bombardment Operations Training Wing.

[1] Six months later Burchinal was en route to the Pacific area as A-3 for-the 313th Bombardment Wing based on Tinian.

In September 1945 Burchinal became A-3 for the Twentieth Air Force and, in November the same year, assumed duties as military analyst, United States Strategic Bombing Survey in Tokyo, Japan.

Two years later, in May 1953, Burchinal went to Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas, as commander of the 40th Bombardment Wing.