[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 201 (Thursday, November 18, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S8438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO GENERAL JOHN E. HYTEN

  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to congratulate Gen. John 
E. Hyten on his retirement from the U.S. Air Force. I also want to 
extend my congratulations to his wife, Laura, and note the remarkable 
bond they share. Their partnership in life has enabled his success in 
uniform, and his achievements are truly theirs.
  Across four decades of service, General Hyten has risen through the 
ranks to become one of the most respected voices in our military, and 
many in this Chamber rely on his deep knowledge and expertise. This is 
especially true on matters relating to space and nuclear deterrence.
  I got to know General Hyten when he became a Nebraska constituent 
following his appointment to be the commander of U.S. Strategic Command 
in 2016. This was actually General Hyten's second tour of duty at 
Offutt Air Force Base, having previously commanded the 6th Space 
Operations Squadron there in the late nineties.
  During his 3 years as the commander of STRATCOM, I was privileged to 
work closely with him, not just as the senior Senator from Nebraska, 
but also the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee's Strategic 
Forces subcommittee, which directly oversees STRATCOM's mission areas.
  During this span, we witnessed a marked shift in the strategic 
landscape, with worrying trends with respect to adversary behavior in 
space and investment in nuclear arms greatly accelerating. This 
elevated the importance of STRATCOM's mission and meant that, as its 
commander, General Hyten was on the front line of some of the most 
daunting security challenges facing our Nation.
  During his tenure, he played a key role in the Department of 
Defense's response to these evolving threats. As space transformed into 
a warfighting domain, his candid advice was invaluable in Congress 
reorganization of the Department of Defense's space enterprise, 
including the creation of the Space Force and elevation of Space 
Command to a full-fledged unified combatant command.
  He was also an extremely effective advocate for our Nation's nuclear 
forces, which continue to be the bedrock of our national security. As a 
vocal champion of nuclear modernization, he helped make the case for 
renewing the triad and broadening the modernization conversation to 
increase focus on nuclear command, control and communications--or NC3--
systems, as well as National Nuclear Security Administration's nuclear 
complex.
  He played an important part in drafting the 2018 Nuclear Posture 
Review, which marked the first time since the end of the Cold War that 
an NPR occurred against a backdrop of growing nuclear threats and 
therefore had to confront the uncomfortable reality that Russia and 
China had not followed our lead in reducing nuclear stockpiles.
  He explained the problem with his customary candor: ``When we started 
de-emphasizing nuclear weapons, what did the rest of the world do? The 
rest of the world did exactly the opposite. So if we de-emphasize 
nuclear weapons, we're putting the country at jeopardy and we can never 
allow that to happen.''
  Those sage words are still true today and should continue to guide 
U.S. nuclear policy. They also reflect another of General Hyten's 
characteristics that I value greatly: his unwavering focus on the 
threats facing our Nation. A tireless advocate for a return of threat-
based planning, he always endeavored to base his approach on the 
changing threat picture and to educate those around him about the 
activities of our adversaries.
  When he was nominated to be the next Vice Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff, I felt very strongly that he was the right leader, 
with the right expertise, at the right time. I knew he would bring all 
of the qualities that distinguished him as a STRATCOM commander to bear 
in his new role, and he did not disappoint.
  As Vice Chairman, he continued to discharge his responsibilities with 
great professionalism and dedication, and his confirmation to the 
position also meant that the Nation could benefit from his leadership 
for 2 more years.
  Sadly, that time is at an end. And while the 40 years of exemplary 
service Gen. John Hyten has rendered make this retirement well-earned, 
I hope he will continue to share his wisdom and counsel. I wish General 
Hyten and his wife, Laura, a wonderful retirement together and all the 
best in their future.

                          ____________________