The Pentagon has just been authorized to make changes to its officer promotion policy that would, among other actions, make it possible to stay on at one’s rank rather than face up-or-out promotion peril.
There are nearly a quarter million commissioned officers in active duty in the U.S. military. Getting promoted to a higher rank has been indispensable for staying in uniform. Either you move up or out. Until now, the only way to get a higher rank was to start at the bottom. But in the biggest change to promotion policy in almost 40 years, the Pentagon will now allow senior officials to waive those rules. NPR’s David Welna reports it’s all about trying to attract and keep talent.
