Support for far-reaching military personnel reforms that would change some of the most traditional facets of troops' promotions and assignments is taking root at the highest levels inside the Pentagon.
Ideas once considered implausible and far-fetched — like waiving time-in-grade rules for fast-tracking promotions — are emerging as top priorities for new leaders at the Defense Department.
The shifting mindset reflects a growing concern that the military's traditional personnel system, essentially static for decades, is falling behind the freewheeling and technology-driven practices of the private sector. That, in turn, is sparking anxiety that a serious recruitment and retention crisis may loom on the horizon.