Some of the most significant personnel changes in the U.S. military's history appear to be on the horizon. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, looking to enlist a generation of servicemembers for the 21st century, while also forcing the Pentagon's entrenched bureaucracy to modernize, is the driving force behind the reforms. According to the Associated Press, Carter's plans to recruit – and, just as importantly, to keep – troops in the armed services were the subject of a major speech given earlier this month in Hawaii.
Proposed changes to military benefits and retirement plans, such as the one that will automatically invest a small percentage of troops' pay beginning in 2018, are part of the effort. Other improvements include expanded sabbatical programs, which encourage service members to pursue advanced education and internships for knowledge and experience that they can then put to use at the Pentagon, as well as facilitated mobility between active duty and the reserves.
The Military Times reported back in August that major personnel reforms were under discussion, spurred on by increasing concerns within the military command structure that its personnel system was lagging far behind the ever-evolving private sector. In a memo obtained by the Military Times, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness Brad Carson wrote that "This is a moment that calls for revolutionary change in the human resources practice of DoD."
Many of Carter's modernization goals are designed to make the Pentagon more closely reflect the corporate world. To draw young people into the services, he plans to have the Pentagon embody the same kind of innovative, high-tech leadership displayed by successful companies in Silicon Valley.
More changes are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Though some of the programs could be easily implemented, more extensive expansions require congressional approval.