This is a fast-moving story about army First Lieutenant (1LT) Jean-Paul Debert's assignment as a Tactical Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1901. (A TAC Officer is the active-duty officer who is the commander of a company of the academy's cadets.) The controversy was that Jean-Paul was not a graduate of the Academy and did not have a college degree. As a result, there is much resistance to him being assigned there by the Academy's staff and faculty, all of whom are academy graduates. However, the Academy's superintendent, Colonel Albert Mills overrules them. He feels 1LT DeBert, with his impressive combat credentials from four wars, would be an excellent role model for the cadets. In order to be accepted and perform well, Jean-Paul has to negotiate the Academy's culture which involves its honor code, hazing, academics, athletics, and many other deep-seeded traditions. Only time will tell if he is successful!.