A WWII army officer begrudgingly sticks his neck out for his fellow Jewish trainees' right to go to shul, which opens him up to manipulations from a trainee who tries to control his fate in the army and avoid deployment in the violent Pacific theater.

A young black man struggles to survive basic training for the Army, as his superiors torment him and he is constantly punished for misbehaving.

After a man goes through hell because of his training sergeant in basic training after being drafted during the Korean War, he becomes a sergeant himself to get back at the man.