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 Spc. Duke Edwards

Spc. Hilda I. Clayton 10th Annual Best Com Cam Competition

50th Public Affairs Detachment

May 25, 2023 | 3:05

Staff Sgt. (Retired) Darian George, and Army veteran Chenee Brooks, both speak on the character of Spc. Hilda I. Clayton, a combat photographer, who was killed in action in 2013, during the Spc. Hilda I. Clayton Best Combat Camera Competition at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, May 25, 2023. Clayton died when a mortar accidentally exploded during an Afghan training exercise. Clayton was the first combat photographer to be killed in Afghanistan. In her honor the 55th Signal Company host an annual competition. The multi-day competition tests the physical, tactical, and technical proficiency of visual information and public affairs specialists across the DOD and participating international competitors. (U.S. Army video by Spc. Duke Edwards)