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.

MHSRS 2024 Distinguished Service Award: Roxana Lescano

Defense Health Agency

Video by John Benedetto

Sept. 5, 2024 | 2:07

This award is to highlight significant accomplishments of Ms. Roxana Lescano during her 35 years of service. Ms. Lescano has demonstrated unwavering dedication to advancing research integrity and compliance within the Military Health System. One example, to strengthen Military Health System Research Integrity, Ms Lescano successfully coordinated and executed numerous sessions of Institutional Review Board training programs. Her effort was recognized in 2023 by the Navy Human Research Protection Program as a “best practice” and hailed across Navy medical research commands as a model program to follow. As an expert in international medical research regulations and ethics, Ms. Lescano has led the development and establishment of research integrity programs throughout Central and South America regions, beginning with NAMRU SOUTH. Her efforts have strengthened the role NAMRU SOUTH plays in infectious disease research and surveillance within the region, contributing to the health protection and deployment readiness of US and host partner service members. More