A no-nonsense drill instructor is convinced that he can make a recruit, who is haunted by his family combat history and who falters under pressure, into a Marine.

Gunnery Sergeant Jim Moore is one of the toughest drill instructors on Parris Island. But he's got a thorn in his side: Pvt. Owens, who always seems to foul up when the pressure's on. Convinced that "there's a man underneath that baby powder," Sgt. Moore drives Owens to the point of desertion. Making things worse, Capt. Anderson has given Moore three days to make the scared private into Marine material, "or I'll personally cut the lace off his panties and ship him out!" Adding to the pressure, Moore also juggles a budding romance with a shop girl.—Michael J. Hayde <[email protected]>