Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) is one of the first women to be considered for the Medal of Honor after being killed in Desert Storm. Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is assigned the task of investigating the incident of her death and determining if she indeed deserves this award. The movie chronicles flash backs of Walden’s crew as they recount the circumstances of her death to Serling. The problem, some crewmembers paint a picture of Walden being a hero while others depict her as a coward. It is left to Serling to decipher the facts and determine if she is worthy of the Medal of Honor.