The Game’s Afoot: Hyten Now for StratCom; Golden For Air Force Chief
COLORADO SPRINGS: Well, until a few hours ago most reporters and their Air Force sources thought Gen. John Hyten was a virtual lock for nomination as Air Force Chief Staff.
Now, my best source on this stuff says the current vice chief, Gen. David Goldfein, is the likely successor to Gen. Mark Welsh. If selected and approved, Goldfein would be the first CSAF to have flown a drone: He was a Reaper pilot. Hyten, the source says, should be heading to lead Strategic Command. (Kudos to my colleague John Tirpak at Air Force Magazine for breaking this story.)
My source noted both men are “top notch,” adding: “However, we are fighting in the air, and the Air Force needs a chief who on the basis of his experience can offer the President air warfare alternatives, as well as fight in the Tank (where the Joint Chiefs and their chairman meet for highly classified discussions) with the Army and Marine four-stars with 10 combat tours over what those military options ought to be. John will be just as, if not more, influential on the role of space in the military at STRATCOM as he would be as CSAF, so this alignment is win-win for all.”
(Full story at title link)