Raised in Williston, ND, Captain Rockstad received his commission in 1996 at the U.S. Naval Academy. His operational assignments as a surface warfare officer include USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Gary (FFG 51), USS Thach (FFG 43), USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Dewey (DDG 105) as commanding officer, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as part of Carrier Strike Group 12 embarked staff, and Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73. Ashore, he served at Fleet Combat Training Center Pacific, Navy Personnel Command, the Joint Staff and the International Military Staff at NATO Headquarters.