Route retired from the Navy in January 2008 after more than 36 years on active duty. In October 2013, Route became the second civilian president of the Naval Postgraduate School. He presided over the university as it rose from restrictions resulting from a Naval Inspector General's report. Route's accomplishments in moving NPS forward are highly significant. He retired from NPS in January 2019 having made NPS a much stronger university educating military officers, first responders, and Pentagon civilians with masters and doctoral degrees.