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 Lt. Col. Kristin Porter

Designing the Future of Battlefield Medicine: Inside Global Medic 25-01 and Mojave Falcon

807th Theater Medical Command

June 4, 2025 | 1:05

As the U.S. Army Reserve refocuses its training efforts on preparing for large-scale combat operations (LSCO), exercises like Mojave Falcon, which integrates Global Medic and Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX), have become critical platforms for testing and refining how Army Reserve medical forces will operate in tomorrow’s complex, high-casualty battlefield. At the center of this transformation is the Medical Readiness and Training Command (MRTC), the driving force behind the design, development, and execution of realistic medical training environments that push Army Reserve medical units to their limits.

Brig. Gen. Chris Piland, Commanding General of MRTC and exercise director for Global Medic 25-01, explained, “We create an environment that challenges both the technical and tactical proficiency of our medical units, contextualizing tasks within the realities of a future battlefield.”

(B-roll courtesy of Staff Sgt. Mikayla Fritz and Master Sgt. Jeff Duran)