Mario Cariño's squad, along with a platoon of Army Scout Rangers led by Lt. Duterte, is seen chasing Muslim rebels across a forest, and is trapped and forced to retreat when an ambush is sprung, losing some of his squadmates.

Camp life is always tense, with rebel snipers taking out sentries, and being bombed and retaliated upon by regular patrols in the area, but they never forget why they are there.

Sometimes they go to the nearest town where they buy supplies and treats for Muslim kids, and on one occasion Mario spots a beautiful storekeeper, Linda.

Mario later gets a leave to visit his family in Manila; his father is sick, his friend's wife is blind, and he himself has a fiancée, Brenda.

As a result, Duterte is replaced by another but younger officer, Lieutenant Flavier, a PMA graduate whom Mario is forced to obey.

Mario receives his Officer Promotion exam results and prepares to return to main base when the rebels fire upon the camp with mortars and grenade launchers, killing some of them and putting the rest in their defensive position.

Mario, Flavier, the squad's sniper, the newbie soldier, and three others prepare themselves in a last stand when government backup arrives and fires upon the rebels with mortars, rockets and air support, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing them to retreat.

The soldiers retrieve the dead, with Flavier untying his batchmate's corpse as the rain falls while Mario kneels and cries.