Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

GPC Key Decisions

USAF Case for Change

SecAF Memo

Air Force FAQ for Reoptimizing Great Power Competition

“We need these changes now; we are out of time to reoptimize our forces to meet the strategic challenges in a time of great power competition.”

~ Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall

The United States faces a time of consequence marked by significant shifts in the strategic environment. To remain ready, the U.S. Air Force must change.

In early 2024, the Department of the Air Force unveiled sweeping plans for reshaping, refocusing, and reoptimizing the Air Force and Space Force to ensure continued supremacy in their respective domains while better posturing the services to deter and, if necessary, prevail in an era of Great Power Competition. Through a series of 24 DAF-wide key decisions, four core areas which demand the Department’s attention will be addressed: Develop People, Generate Readiness, Project Power and Develop Capabilities.

Today, the Air Force once again finds itself at a critical juncture—an era of Great Power Competition marked by a new security environment, a rapidly evolving character of war, and a formidable competitor. This new era requires understanding its challenges and the attributes needed to succeed.

Embracing change is not a choice; it is a necessity. The Air Force must “reoptimize” into an enterprise prepared for high-end conflicts and long-term strategic competition.

Coast Guard Cutter Legare Returns Home in Time for Christmas

U.S. Coast Guard District 5

Video by Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert

Dec. 23, 2014 | 3:01

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Legare returned to their homeport in Portsmouth, Virginia Tuesday, just in time for Christmas, following a 52-day patrol through the Caribbean and into the eastern Pacific Ocean.

During their patrol, Legare's crew transited through the Panama Canal and coordinated with multiple countries in Central and South America, along with partner agencies to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.

The unified effort resulted in the interdiction of multiple suspected drug smugglers and vessels transporting approximately 1,200 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated estimated street value of $40 million.

Legare is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter that operates in the offshore environments under the command of Coast Guard Atlantic Area headquartered in Portsmouth. Its missions include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, defense readiness, and ports, waterways, and coastal security. More