Offended by what he sees a laxity in today's army, ex-sergeant Herbert Gillis puts his son's squad through some rugged training exercises before they graduate.
Dobie meets a pretty fatalistically morose French girl who savors the negative things in life. She thinks Dobie is an oaf and Dobie hates her bleak attitude. Yet, she keeps coming around.
Dobie choses going to a huge Christmas party with Chatsworth rather than a small one with Maynard and feels guilty enough to have a Scrooge-like dream.
Thelonius Monk comes to town and invites Maynard to sit in on bongos. But Herbert needs a favor which will require Dobie and Maynard to switch identities.