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.

B-Roll: Tropic Lightning Week Softball

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

Video by Sgt. Thomas Calvert

Oct. 29, 2019 | 5:59

Tropic Lightning Soldiers with 25th Infantry Division participate in a softball tournament for Tropic Lightning Week Oct. 28-31, 2019 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

The 25th Infantry Division is celebrating its 78th birthday with their annual Tropic Lightning Week. The Division was formed October 1, 1941 at Schofield Barracks and saw combat during the Japanese attack across Oahu on December 7, 1941. TLW is a week-long event comprised of nine competitive events taking place between battalions throughout the Division. The 25th ID Softball Tournament splits the battalion teams into four brackets and culminates in a tournament playoff on the final day.

Video by Sgt. Thomas Calvert) More