Pentagon chief to lay out retirement, other changes aimed at building force of the future

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.