Nation: She Gives the Orders

Bonnie Stratton, 22, has a baby face and little pigtails that stick out underneath her cap, and she describes herself as a "free spirit." But for Army 2nd Lieut. Stratton, succeeding in a man's world means being tough. As one of two female company executive training officers at Fort Dix, N.J., Stratton is in charge of 250 recruits and 18 drill sergeants of Charlie Company. The company is 95% male, and the recruits test Stratton. TIME Reporter-Researcher Barbara Dolan watched her in action and filed this report:

Bonnie Stratton's day begins at 6:30, when...

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