The mania over the hair is driven by two factors: First, the Army wants its soldiers to dress, look and fight according to the same rules. Leaders say that creates bonds between soldiers and discipline in combat.

Second, in the heat of battle, long hair can be a detriment, getting in a soldier’s eyes as they aim a weapon, or getting in the way of a gas mask in the event of a chemical attack.

But, Kinder found, the Army needs to balance religious needs with its strict standards. The Islamic Library Project explains that the hijab’s purpose is modesty.

Kinder found that making a soldier remove their hijab in public is problematic, and said commanders should “develop best practices,” for similar incidents in the future.

Kinder also found that leaders did their best to accommodate Valdovinos’ beliefs on the job.

One complaint from Valdovinos is that she was assigned a menial job after she complained about working around pork in the kitchen. Islam, along with Seventh-day Adventists, some Orthodox Christian faiths and Judaism consider pork taboo.

After Valdovinos complained, leaders made several attempts to accommodate her request. But even the salad bars on post contain bacon bits. And Valdovinos contended “the scent of it makes me ill,” in a statement to investigators.

Valdovinos contended in a complaint that her reassignment to a supply room was an anti-Muslim attack.

Kinder found that leaders “acted appropriately” and that Valdovinos had willingly accepted the new job.

From the report to the media accounts, thousands of words have been spent on Valdovinos and Army tolerance of Islam.

But Kinder found that the conflict could have been avoided.

“All parties would have benefited from better communication,” he wrote.