Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) is an American woman who joins the U.S. Army after her new husband (Albert Brooks) dies on their wedding night during sex. Duped by a sneaky recruiting sergeant, Jim Ballard (Harry Dean Stanton), who lets her believe military life to be more glamorous than it is, she has a rude awakening in boot camp. After getting in trouble constantly, Judy wants to quit, and is astonished to learn that she can't.