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.

Pittsburgh District continues lock operations through wintery conditions (Vertical / CC)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

Video by Michel Sauret

Jan. 8, 2025 | 1:52

Lock operators and maintenance workers shovel snow and continue to perform lock operations through wintery conditions at the Emsworth Locks and Dams, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District on the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Jan. 8, 2025. The Pittsburgh District operates 23 total locks and dams throughout the year in all weather conditions, including winter, regardless of snow and ice. The facilities provide lockages for approximately 50,000 vessels carrying 140 million tons of commodities annually along 328 miles of navigable waterways. The locks also provide free passage to approximately 22,2000 recreational lockages each year on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers combined. The Emsworth Locks and Dams facility stands at the head of the Ohio River navigation system and forms a 24-mile pool on the three rivers around the city of Pittsburgh. Not only does Emsworth help create the beautiful vista around Point State Park, its role in maintaining a navigation pool is instrumental to the regional economy. The facility has been in operation since 1921, and it averages about 470 commercial lockages every month. Lock operators and maintenance workers are just two of the many career opportunities the Pittsburgh District offers to 800 employees who specialize in a wide range of disciplines. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District video by Michel Sauret) NOTE: "Get the Job Done" by Tunestogo licensed for organizational & government use. More