The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word LEAGUER-LASS
L
E
A
G
U
E
R
-
L
A
S
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "She followed the troops" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case she followed the troops = leaguer-lass.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.