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. Edward Randolph

Interment Ceremony for Fireman First Class James McDonald

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Jan. 19, 2022 | 3:56

B-roll of U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Navy Region Hawaii and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct an interment ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2022. DPAA and attending family members paid their respects and honored the life of U.S. Navy Fireman First Class James McDonald, who was assigned to the USS Oklahoma when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft during World War II. McDonald was accounted for on Dec. 22, 2020, nearly 80 years after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. (U.S. Army b-roll by Sgt Edward Randolph)