2017 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. 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. However, Helms' nomination was put on hold by Missouri Senator
Claire McCaskill resulting in the withdrawal of the nomination and leading to the retirement of Helms. On April 9, 2014, Hyten was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to the rank of
General and appointment as Commander, Air Force Space Command. Before assuming command of the United States Strategic Command on November 3, 2016, Hyten commanded
Air Force Space Command. The change of command ceremony occurred on November 3. In November 2017, Hyten stated that if he determines
Donald Trump's order for a nuclear strike to be illegal, then "I'm going to say: 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works." Hyten has been a strong proponent for developing advanced hypersonic weapons, saying they would enable "responsive, long-range, strike options against distant, defended, and/or time-critical threats [such as road-mobile missiles] when other forces are unavailable, denied access, or not preferred.”
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff In April 2019, Hyten was nominated to be Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on September 26, 2019, by a vote of 75–22. He assumed duties as the Vice Chairman on November 21, 2019, making him the second highest-ranking military officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. From February 2, 2019, Hyten also served as the
senior designated official of the Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Cross Functional Team. Hyten has stated that he hopes to reduce overclassification in the Department of Defense. It was announced that by the year of 2021 Hyten is expected to retire and would not seek a second-term as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With the absence of a selected nominee to succeed Hyten, Department of Defense officials stated in October 2021 that Hyten would delegate his duties to senior officials on the
Joint Staff if a nominee was not confirmed by his retirement date in November.
U.S. Navy Adm. Christopher Grady succeeded Hyten as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff upon the confirmation of his nomination to the post by the U.S. Senate on December 16, 2021. Hyten retired from active duty on November 19, 2021.
Sexual misconduct allegation In July 2019, an unnamed senior military officer spoke to the
Associated Press accusing Hyten of
sexual misconduct in 2017 while she was one of his aides. The officer claimed that Hyten subjected her to unwanted kissing and touching during the 2017 Reagan National Defense Forum in California and several times during the year she was while working as his aide. The officer said, "My life was ruined by this". The
Air Force Office of Special Investigations opened an investigation, which included interviews with 53 witnesses and a review of tens of thousands of emails. The investigation found no evidence or information to substantiate the allegations. The
court martial convening authority, General
Mike Holmes, declined to take any action given the lack of supporting evidence concerning the allegations. The Secretary of the Air Force who initiated the investigation also concluded that General Hyten had been falsely accused. The accuser identified herself as Colonel Kathryn A. Spletstoser, former director, Commander's Action Group, United States Strategic Command, on July 26, 2019. On July 30, Hyten appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing for Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, following five closed-door sessions. No members of the committee supported the accusations in the public hearing, with
Senator Martha McSally stating that "sexual assault happens in the military. It just didn't happen in this case" and that "the full truth was revealed in this process... General Hyten is innocent of these charges." In July 2023, Spletstoser reached a settlement with the federal government in U.S. District Court in California for $975,000.
Settlement and legal significance In July 2023, the United States government agreed to pay $975,000 to settle a civil lawsuit brought by retired Army Colonel Kathryn Spletstoser against General Hyten, who was accused of sexual assault and battery. The case,
Spletstoser v. Hyten, included state-law claims of sexual battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and gender-based violence. Ariel E. Solomon of Solomon Law Firm represented Spletstoser in the litigation. Legal analysts noted that the Ninth Circuit’s earlier decision allowing the lawsuit to proceed represented a rare instance in which a service-member’s sexual-assault claim was not barred by precedent in
Feres v. United States. Commentary in
The 19th News likewise described the case as part of a growing effort by military-sexual-assault survivors to obtain justice through civilian courts rather than the military system. == Civilian career ==