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 Kyle Davis

D-Day: Planning the Impossible

Army University Press

Oct. 5, 2023 | 50:11

There are already tons of films about 6 June 1944. That’s why our documentary is about what happened before the Normandy invasion. Allied planners spent years analyzing changing tides, perilous terrain, and German fortifications along the Atlantic Wall to figure out the best time and place to come ashore. Even basic logistics were a nightmare. Over a million soldiers had to be shipped to the United Kingdom, and then equipped and fed. Paying heed to Allied leadership from COSSAC to SHAEF, our film examines how the plan for one of the largest invasions in history was changing clear up to D-Day.

Created in collaboration with the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), the film outlines important Army doctrine such as the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), and the Sustainment Preparation of the Operational Environment.