I seem to remember a quote from some guy who was Secretary of the Navy back in the thirties to the effect that reforming the department was like trying to beat up a mattress. You could try as hard as you want for as long as you want, but at the end you’re exhausted and the mattress is still standing there unaffected.
Your tax dollars at work, folks! 
Well, it seems that West Virginia’s senator got hold of the story, spoke to the Army chief of staff, and everything was taken care of. The buck may stop at the president’s desk, but it has to get there first. I’m sure there were at least another 3-4 levels before it got that high.
Now the question becomes, “Why, o why, did this fuck up have to be solved by a senator and the Army chief of staff? Don’t they have better things to do?” The last is a rhetorical question; I’m scared of the true answer.