U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten is scheduled to officially turn over command of U.S. Strategic Command to Navy Vice Adm. Charles Richard next week.
The change of command ceremony is to take place Nov. 18, following a dedication ceremony for STRATCOM’s new command and control facility at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., according to a press release.
Hyten has been Senate-confirmed to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. STRATCOM operates U.S. nuclear forces, including land- and submarine-based ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles and bombs carried by bomber aircraft. The command also operates nuclear command and control systems, plus satellites and radar designed to detect launches of enemy nuclear weapons.
Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, are scheduled to attend the ceremony.
Separately, Air Force Global Strike Command welcomed Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton as the new deputy commander on Oct. 28. Cotton previously served as commander and president of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Prior to that, he served as the commander of 20th Air Force at F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming. He also serves as deputy commander of Air Forces Strategic-Air for U.S. Strategic Command in his new role.
Air Force Global Strike Command, subordinate to STRATCOM, handles the air leg of the nuclear triad.
This story first appeared in Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor affiliate publication Defense Daily.
