We haven’t fallen behind anyone.
The Space Force was spun off because it doesn’t fit the primary mission of the USAF and the zoomies don’t want to run it.
Steven Kwast would disagree with you. The mission of the Air Force can be modified and generals can be fired. But that is only for the military application. There are other organizations that have a piece of the strategy: NASA being one. That is why a military service isn’t needed. You need a national strategy to push what we already have.