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. 1st Class Jason Hull

A Dogface Soldier: The Story of Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe Episode 1

3rd Infantry Division

Oct. 24, 2021 | 4:36

On October 17, 2005, Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe, a platoon sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, extracted six Soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter from a burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq. Cashe’s platoon had been tasked to clear a route for a resupply convoy when a roadside bomb exploded beneath their vehicle, causing it to quickly become engulfed in flames. Cashe returned to the burning BFV multiple times to remove his team and move them to safety. All of the Soldiers on that vehicle, including Cashe, sustained significant burn injuries and were evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Ultimately, four of the Soldiers perished from their wounds; Cashe was the last to die, succumbing to injuries November 8, 2005. Cashe, who grew up in Oviedo, Florida, deployed in support of the Gulf War in 1991, participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and returned to Iraq in 2005. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal for his brave and heroic actions, the third highest award exclusively for military operations involving conflict. (Video by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Hull, Interviews by Maj. Angel Tomko)