Gunnery Sergeant Burns reports to an American embassy in the Middle East for duty. However, due to the Ambassador's "enlightened" viewpoints, the marine security detachment he commands is severely limited in its functions and presence in order to avoid upsetting the host government. As a result, when terrorists attack the compound, they can easily kidnap hostages and flee. Burns disregards the Ambassador's restrictions and throws the rule books out the window as he becomes a one-man army in an attempt to rescue the hostages and eliminate the terrorists.