Robert John Hutt (born c. 1977) is a United States Space Force brigadier general who commanded the 460th Operations Group from 2018 to 2020. He now serves as the director of plans and programs of the Space Force.

Robert Hutt
Official portrait, 2023
Bornc. 1977 (age 46–47)
Sanford, Florida, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Branch
Years of service
1999–2021 (Air Force)
  • 2021–present (Space Force)
RankBrigadier General
Commands held460th Operations Group
21st Operations Support Squadron
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Alma materUnited States Air Force Academy (BS)
University of Colorado Denver (MS)
Georgetown University

Hutt entered the United States Air Force in 1999 after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. He initially served as a career missile officer before transitioning to becoming a career space operations officer. He has experience in the electronic warfare and missile warning mission areas, serving as commander of the 21st Operations Support Squadron. While commanding the 460th Operations Group, he deployed to Qatar in 2020 to serve as director of space forces of the Air Forces Central Command.

Hutt transferred to the Space Force in 2021, serving as senior executive officer to General John W. Raymond. In 2023, he was promoted to brigadier general.

Early life and education edit

 
Hutt as a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet, 1991

Hutt was born in Sanford, Florida to Mr. and Mrs. Larry Hutt.[1] In 1995, he graduated from Seminole High School. He received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy as the nominee of John Mica, where he planned to become a navigator or a computer scientist.[2][3]

In 1999, he graduated from the Air Force Academy with a B.A. degree in legal studies (philosophy).[1] He received an M.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado Denver in 2008 and Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University in 2011. In 2016, he also received an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College.[4]

As part of his military training, Hutt attended Undergraduate Space and Missile Training at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and Air and Space Basic Course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1999. The following year, he finished his ICBM Initial Qualification Training from Vandenberg. In 2004, he attended USAF Weapons School's Space Weapons Instructor Course. In 2005, he completed Principles of Space Control from Vandenberg and attended Squadron Officer School at Maxwell. In 2015, he attended Air War College.[4]

Military career edit

Hutt commissioned into the United States Air Force on June 2, 1999, as a second lieutenant after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. After completing Undergraduate Space and Missile Training and ICBM Initial Qualification Training, he was assigned in 2000 to the 12th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, as a deputy crew commander, crew commander, and line instructor. From 2002 to 2004, he served with the 341st Operations Group as evaluator and senior crew evaluator.[4]

In 2005, after graduating from the USAF Weapons School, Hutt was assigned at the 76th Space Control Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, as a weapons and tactics flight commander. He stayed there until 2007 when he was reassigned to 21st Operations Support Squadron as an assistant operations officer and vault chief. From 2009 to 2010, he worked as the branch chief for counterspace current operations at the Air Force Space Command.[4]

Hutt served as a military assistant to the under secretary of defense for research and engineering from 2016 to 2018. On June 15, 2018, Hutt took command of the 460th Operations Group, where he was responsible for overseeing the unit's missile warning missions.[5] While in the job, he was deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, as director of space forces for Air Forces Central Command from January to June 2020.[4]

After his command tour, Hutt served as senior executive to the chief of space operations, General John W. Raymond, during which time he transferred to the United States Space Force. From 2021 to 2022, he was chief of the programming division at the Space Staff. In May 2022, he was nominated for promotion to brigadier general.[6][7] In 2022, he was assigned as director of plans and programs and on July 8, 2023, he was promoted to brigadier general.[4]

Awards and decorations edit

Hutt is the recipient of the following awards:

  Command Space Operations Badge
 
Basic Parachutist Badge
 
Basic Missile Operations Badge
 
Office of the Secretary of Defense Badge
 
Space Staff Badge
  Defense Superior Service Medal
  Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
  Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
  Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
   Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with "N" device
  Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame
Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver oak leaf cluster
  Air Force Training Ribbon

Dates of promotion edit

Rank Branch Date[4]
  Second Lieutenant Air Force June 2, 1999
  First Lieutenant June 2, 2001
  Captain June 2, 2003
  Major December 1, 2008
  Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2012
  Colonel May 1, 2017
  Colonel Space Force ~September 30, 2020
  Brigadier General July 8, 2023

References edit

  1. ^ a b "The More Things Change" (PDF). s3.amazonaws.com. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "4 Jun 1995, Page 68 - The Orlando Sentinel at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  3. ^ "9 Jul 1995, Page 127 - The Orlando Sentinel at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Brigadier General Robert J. Hutt". United States Space Force. October 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "Col. Robert Hutt, 460th Operations Group commander,". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. June 15, 2018.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "PN2050 - 5 nominees for Space Force, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the 460th Operations Group
2018–2020
Succeeded by
Preceded by Senior Executive Officer to the Chief of Space Operations
2020–2021
Succeeded by
New office Chief of Programming of the United States Space Force
2021–2022
Succeeded by
???
Preceded by Director of Plans and Programs of the United States Space Force
2022–present
Incumbent