Air Force Abandons Biden-Era 'Reoptimization' Plan: A Strategic Shift
WASHINGTON - The Department of the Air Force has formally announced the termination of most organizational reforms contained within the Biden administration’s ‘Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition’ initiative, according to a press release issued Tuesday. The decision represents a significant strategic pivot under new Air Force leadership and reflects a reassessment of how the service should structure itself for contemporary threats.
The terminations include several cornerstone elements of the reoptimization plan: a major reorientation of Air Combat Command, the proposed Airman Development Command that would have absorbed Air Education and Training Command, and the establishment of an Integrated Capabilities Command designed to develop service requirements. Additionally, the Air Force will not pursue a new program assessment and evaluation office, instead consolidating these functions within the existing office of studies and analysis.
Three newly-proposed centers—focused on information dominance, nuclear systems, and air dominance—will also not be established. The Air Force stated these initiatives were terminated “in favor of more effective sustainment and support approaches.” Plans to restructure regional commands and establish new Air Base Wings have similarly been abandoned, with Air Forces Central and Air Forces Northern remaining as numbered air forces under Air Combat Command rather than operating independently.
Notably, the Air Force is not entirely discarding the reoptimization framework. The service will continue supporting large-scale exercises designed to test airmen in challenging operational environments, particularly across the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, the service remains committed to hiring warrant officers specializing in cyber and information technology, recognizing the need to strengthen technical capabilities. Limited-notice inspections and Multi-Capable Airmen training—which exposes personnel to skills outside their primary specialties—will continue under current protocols.
The reversal follows months of uncertainty surrounding the initiative. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signaled his skepticism of the reoptimization approach in September, telling reporters he favored a focus on winning capability rather than organizational restructuring oriented toward great power competition. The previous Air Force Chief of Staff, General David Allvin, reportedly lost his position partly due to friction over these reforms.
In their reversal announcement, Air Force Secretary Meink and Chief of Staff General Kenneth Wilsbach acknowledged that while the service is not pursuing the dramatic restructuring originally envisioned, adaptation remains necessary. “As our adversaries and the strategic environment continue to evolve, our approach to ensuring a credible and ready force must also adjust,” they stated in a memo to commanders. “Air superiority is not guaranteed. Through flexibility and clear-eyed assessment, our Air Force will continue to fly, fix, and fight now and into the future.”
The termination of reoptimization signals a fundamental disagreement between administrations regarding organizational philosophy. Where Biden-era officials like former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall championed structural overhaul as essential to counter Chinese military modernization, current leadership prioritizes pragmatic capability development over comprehensive reorganization. The Air Force’s measured approach—retaining workforce development and training enhancements while abandoning structural changes—suggests a middle path between maintaining status quo and pursuing radical reform.
Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764781486550-1124