Zack Mayo is an aloof, taciturn man who wants to become a navy pilot. Once he arrives at training camp for his 13-week officer's course, Mayo runs afoul of abrasive, and no nonsense drill Sergeant Emil Foley. Mayo is an excellent cadet, but only a very little cold around the center, therefore Foley rides him , sensing that the man could be officer material if he were. Zack's affair with a girl that was functional is compromised by his unwillingness.