Following duty aboard USS Leonard F. Mason (DD-852) in the western Pacific, he completed flight training in August 1973 and was designated as a Naval Aviator.

He then served in Attack Squadron 82 (VA-82), flying the A-7 Corsair II, deploying twice to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68).

In September 1978, Keating joined Attack Squadron 122 (VA-122) at NAS Lemoore, California, and later served with Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN (CVW-15) as Staff Landing Signal Officer, embarking aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and deploying to the Western Pacific/Indian Ocean.

After his tour with VFA-87, he served as Head of the Aviation Junior Officer Assignments Branch of the Naval Military Personnel Command in Washington, D.C.

In November 1994, Admiral Keating became Commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, Nevada.

Keating returned to the Naval Military Personnel Command in September 1995 as Director, Aviation Officer Distribution Division (Pers 43).