In a southern army camp, Sgt. Eustis Clay hopes that M/Sgt. Maxwell Slaughter will leave the service with him and become his business partner. However, Slaughter, who has his own air conditioner and a free soft drink machine, is content with army life and afraid to venture into the civilian world. Sergeant Clay introduces him to Bobby Jo Pepperdine, and together with Clay's girl, they double date. MP Sergeant Lenahan berates Bobby Jo for standing him up, and Bobby Jo is charmed when Slaughter forces the soldier to apologize to her. Later, when Clay gets into a brutal fight with his arch enemies, MP Sergeants Priest and Lenahan, Slaughter comes to his rescue but collapses from the exertion and is taken to the hospital. The next morning Slaughter talks to Clay of his dream of retiring to a Pacific island to relax and dream. But he dies and Clay reenlists, drinking a silent toast to his former pal.