When Gen. John Hyten was head of U.S. Strategic Command, he invited now retired Adm. Harry Harris to attend a military briefing. Because of confidentiality regulations, only Gen. Hyten and Adm. Harris, then commander of U.S. Pacific Command, were permitted to see the briefing.
Even their second-in-commands — who held a three-star rank — weren’t allowed in.
“In many cases in the (Department of Defense) were just so over classified it’s ridiculous — just unbelievably ridiculous,” Gen. Hyten said recently to an Air Force Association audience, according to Defense News.
Now the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Hyten is in a position to get things done regarding classification and reportedly has the backing of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper.
Adjusting the classification system will make it easier for military leaders to communicate with industry, the public and even within the Department of Defense, Gen. Hyten told the audience.
“We have got to push down the classification to where it makes sense,” he said, according to Defense News.
Gen. Hyten said there will likely be some important changes in the military classification system in the upcoming year.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.