EDITORIAL : RANK MISCONDUCT ARMY SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL IS EVEN MORE SERIOUS THAN THE TAILHOOK AFFAIR.

The Army, by all accounts so far, is moving aggressively to deal with reports of sexual harassment - and worse - of women recruits by male commissioned and noncommissioned officers in training programs. Such action is essential because this matter is far more serious than the Navy's Tailhook scandal.

Tailhook involved totally improper sexual conduct and rowdiness by some off-duty aviators at a convention of an organization that had a reputation for accommodating such goings-on. The Tailhook affair was aggravated by attempts of higher-ups to cover up what happened.

But as bad as Tailhook was, it pales in comparison with the latest military sex scandal. That's because the reported misconduct represents a dangerous breakdown in military discipline.

As Lynn Hecht Schafran, a lawyer with the National Organization of Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund, put it, ``You are taught that your commander is your god, and when your commander says jump, you jump.''

But there's more to it than that. Military commanders also have an obligation to respect the rights and look out for the well-being of their subordinates. Therefore, commanders who engage in or even tolerate improper treatment of their subordinates betray the trust that has been placed in them. Such conduct, if unchecked, can cause enormous damage to morale and even military readiness.

Defense Secretary William Perry has ordered the Navy and the Air Force to investigate their training programs for evidence of sexual harassment. He wanted to know how the services ``communicated resolve not to tolerate sexual harassment or unprofessional relationships at any level of command.''

The armed forces have their marching orders. Commissioned and noncommissioned officers who can't live with them should seek employment elsewhere because it's obvious that they are unfit to command.