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 1st Sgt. Jason Everett

Iowa National Guard aviation unit wraps up Kosovo deployment (BROLL)

Joint Force Headquarters - Iowa National Guard

Sept. 16, 2024 | 4:56

Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers with Detachment 1, Company C, and Detachment 3, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 211th General Support Aviation Battalion, conduct hoist training and air maneuver operations with members of the 186th Military Police Company in September 2025. The training took place as the aviation units neared the end of their year-long deployment to Kosovo in support of NATO’s Kosovo Force peacekeeping mission, known as Operation Joint Guardian. During the deployment, the 33 Soldiers supported multinational operations with three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, trained more than 2,000 NATO personnel in air medevac procedures, executed nine air medevac missions, and dropped over 73,000 gallons of water in response to a large-scale forest fire. (U.S. Army National Guard broll package by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jared Fulk and 1st Sgt. Jason Everett)