[2] 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.

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.

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.

He presided over the university as it rose from restrictions resulting from a Naval Inspector General's report.