When the Russian president gets kidnapped in a coup, an American submarine captain leads a rescue mission in the hopes of avoiding all-out war.

Two young soldiers, Bartle and Murph, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph's mother before their deployment.

In May 1940, soldiers and civilians struggle by land, sea and air to evacuate the British army and their allies, Europe's last hope, from Dunkirk.