Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), off-load from a CH-53E Super Stallion on Dec. 12, 2014.

Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), off-load from a CH-53E Super Stallion on Dec. 12, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photos by Cpl. Demetrius Morgan

How We're Planning the Biggest Personnel Overhaul in 45 Years

DoD’s acting personnel chief lays out the Pentagon’s plans to manage for talent, not just time served.

Through the current Force of the Future initiative, many leaders throughout the Defense Department are heeding Secretary Ash Carter's call for innovative thinking about our nation's most enduring competitive advantage: our people.  

And although we're justifiably proud of our leading technologies at home and in harm’s way, in reality there is no such thing as a weapons platform that is “unmanned or “pilotless.” Squarely behind each sophisticated instrument of suasion, each strategic deterrent capability, each overwhelming battlespace enabler, lies precious American talent.

It's a reality and charge most current leaders in private industry already accepted some time ago. In the competitive business cycle, especially in the technology market, lifespans of young companies struggling in this new labor marketplace can be measured in days, not years, based on the successes and failures of managing talent. Of course, on the battlefield and operating at sea and in the air, there are much higher stakes for our instruments of national security. And in this modern, data-informed world, neither the business community nor the Defense Department has time or decision space for the bureaucratic needs of hierarchical, linear organizations of a former era.  

Unfortunately, the department has been just that type of institution when it comes to personnel management—until now.  

We are now asking ourselves: Are we choosing from too narrow a pool our next Navy Adm. James Stavridis, Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, or Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster? Are we wrongly assuming that the department’s numbers of perfectly qualified candidates for boot camp and our service academies equates to a system in which service members’ talents are optimized? Do we really know how to measure quality; can we adequately track talent flows; and do we know when (or how fast) that talent is leaving our ranks? More importantly, will our antiquated, stove-piped personnel systems be agile enough to attract that same quality 10 or 20 years from now, and inspire it to stay?

There is much to learn from our partners in private industry, using advanced analytics, gamification, and data-enabled tools to reveal and groom best talent — and much to glean from enlightened efforts already going on within the department.

Secretary Carter's Force of the Future initiative is quickly revealing some innovative thoughts across the military services. For example:

  • A talent-based branch selection mechanism at West Point, enabled by cutting-edge technology that quantifies the quality in our young cadets and matches them to specific professional niches according learning proclivities, innate skills and behaviors rather than class rank.   
  • A Rapid Innovation Cell sponsored by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert, whose visionary leadership empowers the best young minds in naval service to think of a new marketplace for talent, powered by social networks.
  • A new career path tool, called MyVector, as a one-stop IT tool for mentoring and career development for all ranks, led by Air Force Secretary Deborah James.  

From Carter’s office, it is our turn to transform our entire military and civilian personnel management systems into talent management systems that are strategic in nature and which capitalize on the innovative thought, technology, and speed of execution applied to other critical processes in the department. The last time we engaged in a project of similar scale was the 1970 Gates Commission, which contemplated a move away from conscription and in the end, led to the all-volunteer force we have today. Economics luminaries no less than Walter Oi and Milton Friedman publicly debated the merits of leveraging the “invisible hand” of differentiated skills to operate what was sure to be a highly specialized force of their future — the force of our present.

(RelatedNavy Opens Fire on Cold-War Personnel System)

They were right. The experiment is proven. But as even they surmised, there is much more to consider in unlocking the true potential of people who place purpose and service first, for the force of our future. Compensation is only a narrow window from which to view talent in national security, and an inadequate one at that. We can and must do better.

Our current generation, many of whom already are proven in service, both abroad and at home, is telling us, if only we have ears to listen: options, flexibility, transparency, and choice in careers of service, civilian and uniformed alike, are more compelling than a mere paycheck. Measuring, grooming, and rewarding their differentiated talents is more important to national defense than following the strict paths leading inexorably to the faint possibility of general or flag rank. The power of innate personal qualities applied to a grander purpose is infinitely more inspiring than a system that treats people like interchangeable parts.

In short, we have yet to fully capitalize upon of the full spectrum of this American generation’s talent, when applied to our national defense. While this will not be something we can change overnight, this is just this kind of debate Secretary Carter and I want to foster. Time is of the essence; our window of opportunity is before us now. We have encouraged the entire department to be bolder still in imagining a new talent management system which honors the best gifts of Americans in service and guarantees the department’s share of talent in a future labor market. In this rapidly changing marketplace, ever-flattened by access, opportunity, and information, nothing less than future of our national security is at stake.

(Related: The Pentagon Says This Man Can Fix Its Personnel System)

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.