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.

Social Media Reel: Kristina Schultz, Biologist

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

Video by Michel Sauret

Feb. 13, 2024 | 1:13

In this social media video reel, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District features Kristina Schultz, a biologist who works in the district’s Environmental and Cultural Resources Section.

The environmental team is critical to each project phase to help move it forward without unexpected consequences or costs to the environment. The section falls under the planning branch, which studies the feasibility of each project to ensure it is worth each taxpayer dollar and it abides by environmental laws.

Besides biologists and environmental specialists, Kristina’s team includes physical scientists, environmental engineers, archaeologists, a tribal liaison, and a historian. Part of their mission includes protecting locations of cultural or archaeological value.

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers video by Michel Sauret) More