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 Senior Master Sgt. Eugene Crist

JFHQ-DODIN and Marshall University break ground on National Center of Excellence for Cyber Security in Critical Infrastructure

130th Airlift Wing

May 17, 2024 | 15:21

United States Cyber Command’s Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) and Marshall University broke ground on the academic institution's Institute for Cyber Security which will house the National Center of Excellence for Cyber Security in Critical Infrastructure (NCOE), Friday afternoon, May 17th, 2024. The ceremony was attended by academic, industry, government, and community partners, as Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, commander of JFHQ-DODIN, United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), Director of Joint Staff for the West Virginia National Guard, Brig. Gen. Michael Cadle, and Marshall University President Brad Smith marked this important milestone. The new facility complements a second NCoE location being developed with West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. Both efforts correlate with a key aspiration for the National Center of Excellence which would empower institutions to develop simulated real-time cyber range capabilities and customizable network security operations centers. Further, West Virginia [cyber] students would be connected to cyberspace operators in Fort Meade, MD– the Headquarters of USCYBERCOM and JFHQ-DODIN. JFHQ-DODIN is the U.S. Cyber Command component that leads the Department of Defense’s unified force approach to network operations, security, and defense across the Department of Defense Information Network, commonly referred to as the DODIN. The Command’s mission covers a broad range of activities on behalf of USCYBERCOM, including proactive, threat-informed steps to ensure network operations remain agile and resilient – reducing cyber risk across the DODIN.