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.

It's Our Backyard - The Lynnhaven River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Project

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District

Video by James Walker

May 8, 2023 | 3:32

The goal is increased water quality simply because it's our backyard. For decades, the #LynnhavenRiver had been impaired to a point in which oysters and other fish caught in certain parts of the estuary were not fit for consumption. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Virginia Beach city leadership, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and groups like Lynnhaven River NOW, water quality in this area has been on the rise.

In this video, Norm Lyster, the Broad Bay Civic League President in Virginia Beach and USACE - Norfolk District biologist Peyton Mowery discuss the Lynnhaven River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Project and how the different parts of the project work synergistically to enhance the health of the river for all people who use it.

In addition to the ongoing submerged aquatic vegetation and wetland restoration projects, USACE is currently working to add second oyster reef to the Broad Bay Area to ensure continued water quality improvements. More