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 The more than 20 initiatives include establishing an executive in
charge of recruiting, expanding a program that allows service
members to take sabbaticals, and implementing exit surveys to
determine why personnel choose to leave.
A more sweeping update of the military's retirement system would
grant benefits to service members who serve less than 20 years and
allow them to take their benefits when they leave, in contrast to
the current system, which has been criticized as being out of date.
The retirement reforms were first proposed in June.
Carter said he wanted to create more "on-ramps" for those outside
the Defense Department to join even for short periods of time. A new
chief recruiting officer will headhunt for executives to fill top
civilian roles in the department, Carter said.
 Another program would embed entrepreneurs from the private sector
into the Department of Defense to work on special projects.
Defense officials are still discussing possible changes to paternity
and maternity leave policies as part of the package of reforms, a
senior defense official said earlier on Wednesday.
"This is the first tranche, so this is the beginning, not the end,"
the official said.
Expanding the sabbatical program, which would require congressional
approval, is aimed at retaining those individuals who have competing
demands, such as wanting to obtain a graduate degree, or needing to
take care of elderly parents or children, the official said. Pilot
versions of the program have been in place in the military branches
for several years.
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There is no net cost to the initiatives announced on Wednesday, the
senior official said, adding that they will be put in place within
weeks.
There are about 1.3 million people on active duty in the U.S. armed
services, and an additional 742,000 civilian personnel, according to
Department of Defense data.
(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Tom Brown)
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