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 Sgt. Erin Vandehoef

Camp Pendleton partners with the SD Zoo and the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife on the protection and relocation of the Pacific Pocket Mouse

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

April 29, 2024 | 4:53

William Miller, a biological monitor with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, participates in an interview about the release of 50 captive-bred Pacific Pocket Mice into the undeveloped land of Camp Pendleton’s Wire Mountain area at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, April 29, 2024. Camp Pendleton’s Environmental Security Department, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Carlsbad Office have been working hand-in-hand on efforts to protect and rebuild the PPM population. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Sgt. Erin A. VandeHoef)