When Senator Lillian DeHaven (Anne Bancroft) arranges for women to be allowed into the elite combat corps of the branches of the United States military, many do not realize that she has her own reasons for backing the program that don't include success for any of the women taking part. Tough female soldier Jordan O'Neil (Demi Moore) is chosen to as the first woman to undergo training for the Navy SEALS, and everyone but O'Neil herself feels sure she is a certain wash out candidate. Training for the SEALS under Master Chief John James 'Jack' Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen) is beyond rigorous, both mentally and physically, and it's easy to see how more candidates drop out of the training than complete it. O'Neil and Urgayle bash heads again and again, each of them trying to prove their point against a backdrop of intimidation from the outside from those who want, above all else, for O'Neil to fail.