Ernie Bilko (Steve Martin) is the leader of a ragtag group of the sorriest soldiers ever to enlist in the armed forces. Instead of training his troops for battle, he passes on his legacy of gambling and shunning responsibility. Times get tough, however, when the base is threatened with a shutdown and a by-the-book adversary, Major Thorn (Phil Hartman), is intent on taking Bilko's reputation down with it. Now, all bets are on Bilko to drum up his biggest scheme yet to save Fort Baxter and clear his name.