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News | March 16, 2018

STRATCOM Commander Awarded Goddard Trophy

By The National Space Club and Foundation

The National Space Club and Foundation is pleased to announce that U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten has won the 2018 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy. The trophy is the Club's highest honor and is given annually to the team or individual who has provided leadership in groundbreaking space and aeronautics capability for the United States of America. The award was presented at the 61st Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on Friday, March 16, 2018.

 

Gen. John Hyten is honored for his distinguished military career and his ongoing efforts dedicated to the National Security Space Enterprise. The vision and guidance of Gen. Hyten have made an enduring contribution to national security space leadership and the integration of space into all aspects of our warfighting capability. The general has been involved in the acquisition, development, requirements generation of space systems, and the operation and application of space power for the past three decades. General Hyten has followed in the footsteps of trailblazing space leaders like General Bernard Schriever and General Thomas Moorman in his dedication to the active development of the next generation of national security space leaders.

 

As the commander of Air Force Space Command, he directed the creation of the Space Mission Force and Space Enterprise Vision; both constructs form a legacy that will serve the National Security Space Enterprise for years to come. The Space Mission Force is a long-term overarching initiative to prepare and present space forces as ready and capable of operating in a contested, degraded and operationally-limited environment. It is the new standard for space operators to increase preparedness to operate their weapon systems and respond to the increasing threats. The Space Enterprise Vision accounts for the increasing threat to space systems, and provides a vision for how the Air Force should build a force responsive to that threat. The vision describes an integrated approach across all space mission areas, coupling the delivery of space mission effects to the warfighter (such as communications; positioning, navigation and timing; missile warning; and weather data) with the ability to protect and defend space capabilities against emerging threats. Consistent with U.S. National Space Policy, the vision enhances U.S. space forces' ability to deter others from interference and attack, defend our space systems if deterrence fails and contribute to the defense of allied space systems. In 2017, the general directed a landmark restructure of U.S. Strategic Command, which included elevating operational command of space forces to a four-star level, focused on the joint fight. This initiative serves to raise the priority of space and its critical role in modern warfighting.

 

Gen. Hyten is one of the nation's most powerful advocates for space power. His landmark 2015 interview on CBS "60 Minutes" sent an unmistakable signal to foe and friend alike that the United States is a spacefaring nation, and that we will always defend our abilities to operate to, in, and through space. His description of the criticalities of our space systems, and the threats to same, led to his call for greater resilience in our space capabilities. For this, his myriad accomplishments, and his leadership in this critical time in our nation's history, we proudly select Gen. Hyten for one of the highest honors in the Space Enterprise - the Goddard Trophy.

 

Gen. Hyten has served in a variety of space acquisition and operations positions during his career. His staff assignments include tours with the Air Force Secretariat, the Air Staff, the Joint Staff and as director, Commander's Action Group at Headquarters Air Force Space Command. He served as mission director in Cheyenne Mountain and was the last active-duty commander of the 6th Space Operations Squadron (DMSP) at Offutt AFB, Neb. Gen. Hyten has first-hand experience employing space capabilities in the joint fight; in 2006, he deployed to Southwest Asia as Director of Space Forces for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Gen. Hyten commanded the 595th Space Group and the 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB, Colo. In his role as commander, he was responsible for organizing, equipping, training and maintaining mission-ready space and cyberspace forces and capabilities for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command, and other combatant commands around the world. As the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, General Hyten currently leads one of nine Unified Commands within the Department of Defense, and is responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet decisive national security objectives, providing a broad range of strategic capabilities and options for the President and Secretary of Defense.