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.

Wisconsin Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition 2023

112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Video by Cpl. Cesar Salazar Jr.

April 21, 2023 | 3:25

Spc. Christopher Kniprath, a Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldier assigned to Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, and Staff Sgt. Crystal Zacharias, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 426th Regiment, talk about their experiences leading to and during the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 2023 Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., Apr. 21. The Wisconsin Army National Guard's annual Best Warrior Competition is designed to recognize and reward Soldiers who demonstrate exceptional skills, leadership, and dedication through a variety of grueling tasks including a 12-mile road march, weapons qualifications, land navigation, and the Army Combat Fitness Test. The four-day competition culminates in the crowning of Wisconsin’s best Soldier and noncommissioned officer of the year. (U.S. Army video by Cpl. Cesar Salazar) More