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.

Army Aviation Accident Investigation Course at Fort Indiantown Gap

Fort Indiantown Gap

Video by Sgt. Shane Smith

Aug. 21, 2019 | 2:01

[Video text]

The Pennsylvania National Guard recently repurposed a decommissioned UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, using it to create a realistic aviation accident site that will be used to train our nation’s Soldiers.

The 1978 model Blackhawk was hoisted by a larger CH-47 Chinook aircraft and was dropped from 125 feet, creating a mock helicopter crash site with significant damage and simulated casualties at Ft. Indiantown Gap Aug. 8.

Twenty three Army National Guard Soldiers from 10 different states were the first to utilize this new training asset during an Army Aviation Accident Investigation Course at Fort Indiantown Gap Aug. 19-23.

The course serves as the culminating exercise in a series of five accident investigation courses and is crucial because it allows students to practically apply all of the skills they’ve learned in the previous courses, preparing them to respond to accidents like this in the real world.

Students work together as an investigation team to determine the likely cause of the accident and assemble an accident report.

Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. is now one of just four training sites capable of hosting such Army training and will continue to train and prepare Soldiers on aviation safety and accident investigation moving forward.

Well-prepared accident investigators play a vital role in accident analysis with the objective of preventing future accidents. More