[2] Sullivan was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1976 by recommendation of Senator Lowell Weicker.

[3] Upon graduation magna cum laude[1] with a degree in Engineering, he joined the United States Navy submarine force and served there for nearly two decades.

By the time of his retirement from the Navy, he achieved the rank of Captain and was Commanding Officer of the Naval Submarine Base in New London.

[4] In 2012 he was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

[14] He is a strong advocate for nuclear power and supports removing political obstacles to building new plants.