General (Ret.) John Hyten served as the 11th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after a distinguished 40-year career in the United States Air Force. During his time as a senior leader, General Hyten was known as a powerful advocate for buying and integrating commercial technologies at speed for warfighters. Before retiring from the military in November 2021, General (Ret.) Hyten’s role as Vice Chairman made him the nation’s second highest ranking military officer, responsible for supporting and overseeing joint military requirements for nearly 1.5 million service members and their families. Previously, General (Ret.) Hyten led U.S. Strategic Command from 2016 to 2019 and Air Force Space Command from 2014 to 2016. He deployed to Southwest Asia as the Director of Space Forces for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and has received numerous awards from the Defense Department for distinguished service.