Among their solutions: an extra week of "sensitivity training" for male recruits, and tougher screening of drill instructors. It's a good public relations exercise, says TIME military correspondent Mark Thompson. "Because of the Army's relatively swift action, most people will think the situation was handled fairly." In other words, this is an effort to prevent the Aberdeen training camp controversy from becoming as embarassing as the 1991 Tailhook scandal was for the Navy.
Will it succeed? "There isn't an instant cure," warns Thompson. At the very least, the Army has recognized a very basic fact that when male drill sergeants are given absolute power over young female recruits, top brass must take care.