Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

GPC Key Decisions

USAF Case for Change

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.

Texas Army National Guard Soldiers prepare to assist in Houston’s civil unrest

Texas Military Department

Video by Sgt. Samuel De Leon

June 8, 2020 | 2:52

(HOUSTON) – Texas Army National Guard Col. Rodrigo Gonzalez, the commander of Joint Task Force 72, thanks the Soldiers staged at NRG Park Stadium in Houston, for their dedication to the mission of keeping Texas safe during these troubling times, June 8th, 2020. Joint Task Force 72 is a headquarters unit overseeing the Texas Military Department’s assistive response to law enforcement during the ongoing civil disturbances occurring across the state. Soldiers from the 4th Battalion of the 54th Field Artillery, from Dallas, prepare to be on hand, if needed, to assist local law enforcement and medical personnel in the event of civil unrest in the area by setting up a command post next to NRG Park Stadium. On May 30, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott activated elements of the Texas National Guard to augment law enforcement throughout the state in response to civil unrest. The Texas National Guard will be used to support local law enforcement and protect critical infrastructure necessary to the well-being of local communities. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Samuel De Leon) More