John E. Hyten

John Earl Hyten (born July 18, 1959) is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 11th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2021.

He commanded the 6th Space Operations Squadron, 595th Space Group, and 50th Space Wing.

After retiring, Hyten joined Blue Origin as a strategic advisor.

John Earl Hyten was born on July 18, 1959, in Torrance, California as the eldest of Sherwyn and Barbara Hyten's three children.

In 1965, his family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where his father worked on the Saturn V rocket.

He grew up in Huntsville at the height of the Space Race, attending Chaffee Elementary School and Grissom High School, two of the three schools named after the Apollo 1 astronauts who died during a launch rehearsal test.

In 1977, he graduated from Grissom High School.

He wanted to become an astronaut, but because of his poor eyesight, decided to pursue engineering "to get in the space business."

Hyten got accepted into Harvard University, but unable to pay for it, he accepted an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship that required him to serve in the United States Air Force for four years.

After graduating from Harvard University, he received his commission into the U.S. Air Force in 1981.

He started his military career in engineering jobs, then went into space and missile operations.

He graduated from Harvard in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in engineering and applied sciences.

Hyten was commissioned into the United States Air Force on August 23, 1981, as a second lieutenant.

From 1981 to 1985, he was assigned as a configuration management officer, later becoming chief of the Configuration Management Division, for the Automated Systems Program Office at Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama.

After graduating, he commissioned into the Air Force as a second lieutenant, intending to serve only for four years and get out in 1985 to work in the space industry.

In 1985, Hyten received a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University at Montgomery.

He completed Squadron Officer School in 1985 as a distinguished graduate.

He then was reassigned to Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, from 1985 to 1989 as chief of the Software Development Branch and, thereafter, as chief of the Engineering and Acquisition Division of the Space Defense Programs Office.

Hyten then returned to Alabama for a year to serve as a special adviser to the U.S. Army's Kinetic Energy Anti-Satellite Program Office.

In 1990, he went back to Los Angeles as deputy for engineering at the Strategic Defense Initiatives Program Office.

From 1991 to 1993, he was assigned to the Pentagon first as an executive speechwriter and systems analyst and then as program element monitor for Advanced Technology Programs for the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition).

From 1993 to 1994, he studied at the Air Command and Staff College in Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

In 1994, after attending the Air Command and Staff College, Hyten was assigned to the United States Space Command at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado, as mission director, space operations officer, and chief of command center training.

From 1996 to 1998, he commanded the 6th Space Operations Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

After that command tour, he was selected as a national defense fellow at the University of Illinois.

In 1999, he became a national defense fellow of the University of Illinois.

Hyten was sent back to the Pentagon in 1999 to serve multiple roles at the Joint Staff.

From 2001 to 2003, he served as chief of the Space Control Division, Directorate for Space Operations and Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations.

After that, he served as director of the commander's action group for the commander of Air Force Space Command, General Lance W. Lord.

In July 2004, Hyten took command of the 595th Space Group.

In April 2005, he took command of the 50th Space Wing.

While serving as wing commander, he was deployed to Southwest Asia as director of space forces of the U.S. Central Command Air Forces from May to October 2006.

He relinquished command of the wing in May 2007, after which he was assigned as director of requirements of AFSPC.

While serving at AFSPC, Hyten was promoted to brigadier general on October 1, 2007.

From 2009 to 2012, he was assigned at the Pentagon.

He first served as director of cyber and space operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements from 2009 to 2010.

In 2010, he was assigned as director of space acquisition at the Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, during which time the position was transferred as director of space programs at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition.

In 2011, he returned to Harvard, taking their Senior Managers in Government Course.

A career space operations and acquisitions officer, he commanded the United States Strategic Command from 2016 to 2019 and the Air Force Space Command from 2014 to 2016.

Hyten was born in Torrance, California.