Reoptimization for Great Power Competition

“I’m extremely proud of the Space Force and all the good it has accomplished. But, as good as we are, as much as we’ve done, as far as we’ve come, it’s not enough. We are not yet optimized for Great Power Competition.”

~ Chief of Space Operations
Gen. Chance Saltzman

The establishment of the U.S. Space Force was a direct response to threats arising from Great Power Competition in the space domain. Nevertheless, our legacy roots leave us sub-optimized for the security environment confronting us today, and we must finish fine-tuning the service to continue meeting its National Defense Strategy responsibilities

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.

The space domain is no longer benign; it has rapidly become congested and contested.

We must enhance our capabilities, develop Guardians for modern warfare, prepare for the high intensity fight, and strengthen our power projection to thrive and win in this new era of Great Power Competition.

Video by Maria Christina Yager

Pride in the Patch: Combat Medic Specialist

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital

Oct. 7, 2020 | 1:00

U.S. Army Spc. Justin Robinson, a combat medic specialist assigned to BACH’s EMS division is evaluated on his Tactical Combat Casualty Care skills during a training exercise on Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Robinson had to move a casualty to safety and begin administering aid while coordinating battlefield evacuation for the casualty via field ambulance. The combat medic specialist is primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at point of wounding on the battlefield, limited primary care, and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. Training on these skills regularly helps to keep Soldiers proficient and enable a ready medical force. TCCC was created by the U.S. Department of Defense Committee on TCCC (Co-TCCC) to teach evidence-based, life-saving techniques and strategies for providing the best trauma care on the battlefield.