The United States Air Force (USAF) and Space Force (USSF) are Odyssey’s largest customers. Odyssey has a 27-year legacy supporting the Department of the Air Force (DAF) spanning multiple mission areas including Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR), Aviation Platforms, Space Surveillance, Space Domain Awareness and now Nuclear Deterrence and Warfare as well. Today, over 1,000 Odyssey employees provide critical management, engineering, logistics and analytical support to hundreds of USAF and USSF programs and mission areas. Approximately 90% of Odyssey’s employee base are located at major DAF operating locations alongside our mission partners at Wright Patterson AFB, OH, Hanscom AFB, MA, Peterson SFB, CO, Hill AFB, UT, Langley AFB, VA, Tinker AFB, OK, Eglin AFB, FL and many other locations. In short, Odyssey is a prominent and influential Air Force and Space Force Company!

In early 2024, the DAF unveiled plans for reshaping and refocusing the USAF and USSF to ensure continued supremacy in their respective domains. This initiative is called “Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition.” Depending on your perspective, this phrase can have many different definitions. Ultimately, the DAF is pivoting to posture themselves to be more efficient, effective, more technically advanced and competitive in the global environment. The DAF is moving with a sense of urgency to ensure the US and partner nations can continue to progress, deter global threats, and if necessary, win, if challenged. Twenty-four key decisions were announced, centered around four major themes; Develop People, Generate Readiness, Project Power, and Develop Capabilities.

For several years Odyssey has been structurally aligned to best support our customer base, and we intend to remain fully aligned with our largest and most critical customer as they continue to evolve and progress. As the DAF makes strategic adjustments and transformations aimed at better addressing the challenges posed by major global competitors like China and Russia, re-optimization will involve revising and enhancing various aspects of the Air Force’s structure, capabilities, and strategies to ensure effective competition and deterrence in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment. Odyssey is fully committed to the direction our customer is heading, and we will remain proactive mission partners aligning ourselves to best support, engage and integrate.

Direction: At its core, the Great Power Competition is about ensuring that the USAF remains dominant in the air and space. This is crucial because air and space superiority is vital for national security, enabling the U.S. to project military power, support allies, and respond quickly to global threats. The “Develop Capabilities” initiative is most relevant to Odyssey. As part of this initiative the DAF will:

• Create a Department of the Air Force Integrated Capabilities Office to lead capability development and resource prioritization to drive DAF modernization investments.
• Combine disparate efforts to create the Office of Competitive Activities to oversee and coordinate sensitive activities.
• Create a Program Assessment and Evaluation Office to establish structure and incorporate a more analytically based approach to resourcing decisions.
• Establish Integrated Capabilities Command to develop competitive operational concepts, integrated requirements, and prioritized modernization plans to align with force design.
• Create a new Information Dominance Systems Center within AFMC to strengthen and elevate the Air Force’s focus on Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management; Cyber; Electronic Warfare; Information Systems; and Enterprise Digital Infrastructure.
• Strengthen the support to nuclear forces by expanding the Nuclear Weapons Center to become the Air Force Nuclear Systems Center within AFMC. This will provide comprehensive materiel support to the nuclear enterprise; establish a 2-star General Officer as the Program Executive Officer for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles.
• Refocus the Life Cycle Management Center within AFMC as the Air Dominance Systems Center to synchronize aircraft and weapons competitive development and product support.
• Establish an Integrated Development Office within AFMC to provide technology assessments and roadmaps. It will drive alignment and integration of mission systems across centers and provide technical expertise to assess operational concept feasibility.
• Create Space Futures Command as a Field Command to develop and validate concepts, conduct experimentation and wargames, and perform mission area design.

As an organization, Odyssey will continually evolve and adapt to stay aligned with our customers’ strategic goals. Our customer alignment is pivotal for fostering long-term, strategic relationships. Our customers are at the heart of our company’s strategy and our future. Odyssey alignment involves not only actively listening to employee and customer feedback, but also anticipating future needs and adapting swiftly to change. By integrating customer insights into all aspects of our corporate operations we will ensure we continue to deliver exceptional value. Our proven, customer-centric approach will not only enhance corporate and employee, satisfaction but will also build a strong, trust-based relationship that can differentiate Odyssey in a competitive landscape. As individual contributors, we should work to ensure our personal approach is aligned to the organizations and customers we support. As you think about your personal contributions as an employee of Odyssey, please also take a moment to reflect on your alignment in a broader sense, because together we create those true partnerships, and carve the path for Odyssey’s future.

Alignment: Being aligned to an objective means that your actions, efforts, and resources are effectively directed towards achieving a specific goal. This involves several key elements:

• Understanding the Direction: You clearly understand what the objective is, including its scope, importance, and the desired outcome. This ensures that your focus is directed towards the right target.
• Consistency: Your actions and decisions consistently support the objective. This means that your daily tasks, strategic decisions, and resource allocation are all aimed at contributing to the achievement of the goal.
• Coordination: You work in harmony with others who are also working towards the same objective. This could involve collaborating with team members, integrating efforts across departments, or ensuring that different initiatives complement each other.
• Adaptability: Being aligned means you are open to adjusting your approach as needed to stay on track with the objective. If circumstances change or new information arises, you adapt your strategies to ensure continued alignment.

Overall, being aligned to an objective means that everything you do is purposefully directed towards achieving that goal, enhancing the likelihood of success and ensuring that resources are used efficiently and effectively.

Odyssey will also remain true to our commitment to help our customers achieve mission success. Our commitment to our customers is fundamental to building lasting relationships and ensuring sustained success. This commitment is demonstrated through delivering high-quality services, prioritizing employee care, and actively listening to feedback. It involves not just meeting but exceeding customer expectations by providing reliable support, understanding their needs, continuously innovating to enhance their experience and resolving issues promptly and effectively. As mentioned, when we discussed alignment, it is also valuable to reflect on our personal commitment to the organizations we support. Let’s also take a moment to reflect on our own personal commitment.

Commitment: Being committed means dedicating yourself fully to a goal, cause, or responsibility, and staying devoted even when faced with challenges or obstacles. It involves:

• Dedication: You consistently prioritize the task or goal, often putting in extra effort or time.
• Persistence: You continue to work towards your goal despite difficulties or setbacks, showing resilience and determination.
• Focus: You maintain a clear sense of purpose and stay concentrated on your objective, avoiding distractions that might deter you from achieving it.
• Responsibility: You take ownership of your actions and decisions, recognizing the impact they have on reaching your goal and being accountable for the outcomes.
• Passion: Your commitment is often fueled by a deep personal interest or belief in what you’re working towards, which helps sustain your motivation.
• Consistency: You regularly engage in activities or behaviors that align with your goal, making steady progress over time.

In essence, commitment is about aligning your actions with your values and long-term objectives, and persevering through challenges to achieve the task at hand.

The USAF re-optimization for Great Power Competition involves a comprehensive approach to modernizing force structure, updating operational strategies, enhancing technological capabilities, adjusting global posture, and strengthening partnerships. These changes are designed to ensure that the Air Force and Space Force remain effective and agile in the face of evolving threats from major global rivals. Odyssey understands the direction our customers are headed, we are aligning ourselves in order ensure we are a proactive partner in helping the DAF achieve their mission goals, and we are committed to the success of the Air Force and Space Force.

For more information on GPC directly from the DAF: Reoptimization for Great Power Competition (af.mil).