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.

U.S. Marines Conduct MRC Rope Ceremony

Marine Forces, Special Operations Command

Video by Cpl. Salvador Flores Perez

Aug. 1, 2025 | 0:43

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Raider Training Center, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, conduct their Rope Ceremony as part of the Marine Raider Course at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 1, 2025. The Rope Ceremony pays tribute to the Raiders of World War II, who wore ropes with a woven loop on the end and a wooden toggle on the other. The rope signifies their willingness to train and desire to earn the title of Marine Raider. It symbolizes their status as a selected Marine and growing commitment to the warrior lifestyle within the special operations community. MRC is a 9-month course that focusses on training and enhancing lethality and producing forces that are designed to be adaptable, task-organized, and capable of operating in complex and uncertain environments. Upon completion of MRC, graduates go on to becoming Marine Raiders and Marine Raider Officers.
(U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Salvador Flores Perez) More