A Seaman to Admiral Story

Being a U.S. Navy admiral wasn’t even on Matthew J. Burns’ radar when he graduated from high school in the mid-1980s.

The New Jersey native tried college for a semester, but quickly realized he did not have either the study habits or self-discipline to succeed, so he turned to the military with the help of his brother, who was already an enlisted Navy SEAL.

In the past 32 years, Burns has gone from being a Navy recruit to Navy SEAL, rising to first class petty officer, to making the jump to the wardroom in 1995.

This year, he pinned on a rear admiral's star, making him the first Sailor commissioned through the current Seaman to Admiral Program to do so. His promotion fulfilled the promise of the program's name -- and the dreams of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Boorda.

Boorda himself rose from the deckplates to the wardroom. He was also a first class petty officer before being picked up for a similar commissioning program in the 1960s, rising to the rank of full admiral and the Navy's top uniformed billet.

"The Navy rewards performance. If you aspire to advance in the Navy, sustained performance is the key," Burns said in an interview with MyNavy HR.