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.

Iowa National Guard remembers Iowa Floods of 1993

Joint Force Headquarters - Iowa National Guard

Video by Staff Sgt. Tawny Kruse

July 13, 2023 | 1:35

From June 27 to August 7, the Iowa National Guard Emergency Operations Center conducted 24 hour flood support operations. Additional units from 5 other states were activated to support missions. On July 10, West Des Moines and Des Moines experienced severe flooding. Des Moines Waterworks was flooded out, causing a potable water shortage for over 250,000 residents. The National Guard purified and distributed potable water, placed thousands of sandbags, provided power and emergency goods, constructed temporary bridges and assisted state agencies in a variety of recovery efforts. At the peak of operations, over 2,000 Guardsmen were on duty across the state, with over 1,000 on duty in the Des Moines area alone. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Staff Sgt. Tawny Kruse/Photos courtesy of Iowa National Guard Public Affairs, Iowa Gold Star Military Museum) More