Army supply clerk Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix) reluctantly chose the army over a stint in jail. He rules the roost around the base, duping his ineffectual, pompous superiors, way-laying vast shipments of army goods and reselling them on the black market - and even cooking up and selling heroin in his spare time! Elwood is no angel but has plenty of shady company out the out-of-control base. He foolishly mixes illegal business and pleasure when he begins dating the daughter of tough-as-nails Sgt. Robert Lee (Scott Glenn) then looks on helplessly as his life goes up in flames.