 Among the new recruits in a U.S. Marine basic-training platoon is Adrian, a long-haired member of the hippie generation, opposed to blind allegiance to authority and the complete opposite of Gunnery Sergeant Tom Drake, who is assigned as Drill Instructor for Adrian s platoon. Drake s job as a D.I. is to break down the individuality of his recruits in order to rebuild them as a military unit, and he sets out to break Adrian s particularly contrary spirit. But Adrian s gentle will is difficult to break, and eventually both men come to learn something about what the other has to offer.