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.

South Carolina Army National Guard 2025 Best Warrior Competition - Day 1

South Carolina National Guard

Video by Staff Sgt. Tim Andrews

Feb. 24, 2025 | 0:26

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the South Carolina National Guard participate in an Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) physical fitness test during the Best Warrior Competition (BWC) held at the South Carolina National Guard McCrady Training Center, Eastover, South Carolina, Feb. 24, 2025. The BWC is a multi-day event, organized in state, regional, and national phases, promoting excellence and resiliency in the National Guard. In 2025, the South Carolina phase of the BWC is held from the 24th to the 28th of February. Throughout the event, all participants are challenged, both mentally and physically, on critical areas of emphasis encompassing individual combat-skills and doctrinal knowledge. The core-events common to all phases of the BWC are a ruck march, use and maintenance of weapons, combat medical-care, marksmanship, and land navigation. (U.S. Army National Guard video by Staff Sgt. Tim Andrews) More