She probably spent her whole career proof-reading policy memos and fetching coffee for various commanders. I'm betting she expected to get a do-nothing job in the Pentagon and being home by 2:00 every day. When she was expected to go command a field unit, she was totally out of her element. The Army should be very embarrassed by promoting Karpinski past the rank of captain.
I'm thinking she might have been out of her element as soon as she got to 1st Lt. She was a freakin' GENERAL and had that little command over her troops?? Gimme a break. (My chief would have put a quick end to any of that crap before the ensign even knew it happened.)