WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Ash Carter is pushing major changes to the Pentagon's personnel systems that are intended to attract the next generation of service members and drag the often-antiquated bureaucracy into the 21st century.
Many of the moves that Carter plans to outline in a speech Wednesday focus on how the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps recruit and retain troops.
For example, members of the military can begin investing in a 401(k)-type retirement plan beginning in January 2018.
Sabbatical programs will expand, and service members more easily can move from active duty to the reserves. That will give them a chance to take a break, seek advanced schooling, internships or other work and eventually bring that experience back to the Pentagon.
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