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 Staff Sgt. Jordan Gilbert

Lab technicians with 3rd Medical Battalion test USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailors for COVID-19

Commander Task Force 75

April 12, 2020 | 1:05

NAVAL BASE GUAM (April 12, 2020) U.S. Navy Sailors with 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, test aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Sailors for COVID-19 at Kilo Wharf. Theodore Roosevelt is currently docked at Naval Base Guam where Sailors from the ship are practicing social distancing and following other guidelines from the CDC, U.S. Navy and the Governor of Guam as part of COVID-19 mitigation effort during a scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jordan E. Gilbert)