His sea duty assignments include Damage Control Assistant, Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer, and Navigator aboard USS RUSSELL (DDG 59); Operations Officer aboard USS DECATUR (DDG 73); and Operations Officer for Commander, Destroyer Squadron 23. 

Ashore, Commander Burkett served as an Operations Briefer on the Chief of Naval Operations Staff; Flag Aide to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5); Military Advisor to the Office of Counter Proliferation Initiatives at the U.S. Department of State (ISN/CPI); and as a Maritime Warfare Instructor at Surface Warfare Officers School.

CDR Burkett earned his Master in Public Administration from Harvard University in 2016.  After serving as Executive Officer from October 2018 – April 2020, he assumed command of USS THE SULLIVANS (DDG 68) in June 2020 as the ship's twenty first commanding officer.