The success of the U.S. military, a professional force with a global mission, depends on its ability to harness the dynamism of American society to meet evolving strategic threats head-on. As the United States confronts an increasingly challenging security environment and as Americans’ expectations and lifestyles change, the nation cannot afford to manage its military using policies designed for a bygone era. Yet, that is exactly what is happening. It is long past time for lawmakers and Pentagon leaders to fundamentally reform the personnel systems that manage America’s uniformed service members and the civil servants who support them. The “one-size-fits-all” force that won the Cold War needs to be updated to one that fully engages all of American society, adapts to new threats, is sustainable over the long term, and is technically proficient.

ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL: A PERSONNEL SYSTEM TRAPPED IN THE PAST

The military uses a 70-year-old “one-size-fits-all” personnel system that brings young people into the military in their teens and 20s, puts them into a rigid command-and-promotion structure, and removes all but the most-senior-ranking service members by their early 40s. This system has served the military well over the years, but has critical shortcomings.