Two U.S. Navy petty officers, Buddusky and Mulhall, are assigned a seemingly straightforward duty: to escort a young sailor, Meadows, from their base in Virginia to a naval prison in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meadows has been sentenced to serve eight years for a petty crime of stealing a mere $40 from a charity fund. The seasoned officers are unsympathetic at first, viewing the mission merely as a “last detail” to be completed. However, their perspectives begin to shift as they learn more about the boyish and naive Meadows, whose harsh punishment seems disproportionate to his minor offense.

As the trio sets off on their journey, the dynamic between them takes the shape of a bittersweet road trip. Along the way, Buddusky and Mulhall decide to show Meadows a good time before he faces the grim reality of imprisonment. They make unscheduled stops, introducing him to a series of first-time experiences and small pleasures, hoping to toughen him up and prepare him for what lies ahead. What starts off as a simple transport duty evolves into an unexpected bonding experience, where the lines between duty and compassion become blurred, challenging the tempered views of the two seasoned officers about authority, justice, and the nature of responsibility.