Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko is in charge of the motor pool at Fort Baxter, a small
United States Army base that develops new military technology. Exploiting this position, he directs a number of scams, ranging from gambling to renting out military vehicles. His commanding officer,
Colonel John Hall, overlooks these money-making schemes, as he is more concerned with problems in the "Hover Tank" that the base is designing.
Major Colin Thorn, an officer from the
U.S. Army Inspector General's office, arrives at the camp determined to get revenge on Bilko to settle an old score the two have from
Fort Dix, where Thorn was nearly court-martialed after Bilko’s attempt to fix a boxing match resulted in Thorn being shipped off to
Greenland in the belief that he tried to fix the fight. Thorn attempts to steal Bilko's long-time fiancée Rita, whom Bilko has stood up at the altar more than a dozen times. Rita gives Bilko 30 days to win her back or lose her for good. Bilko, with the help of newly assigned Private First Class Wally Holbrook, devises a means of avoiding Thorn's attempt to transfer him to Greenland: He gets Thorn to think the Hover Tank works, then rigs a demonstration of it staged before a general and government officials, after Thorn had tried to sabotage the tank the previous night. As a result, Thorn confronts Bilko, Hall, and the general, insulting Bilko and Hall, until he unwittingly confesses to sabotaging the Hover Tank. Thorn is sent off again to Greenland. The last day of Rita's ultimatum has come. Just as she begins to write Bilko off forever, she hears men outside her house, serenading her with a
favorite song of hers and Bilko's. Looking out, she sees Bilko and his platoon. Bilko asks Rita to marry him, and she accepts. The next day is their wedding day, but Rita shows up late, due to a mix-up over
Daylight Saving Time. After they play another card game (if Bilko wins, they get married), they finally get married. Unknown to Bilko, Rita is holding four aces in her hand. ==Cast==