1. Overview. STARSHIP TROOPERS is the story of Johnnie “Juan” Rico and his transformation from high school student to a seasoned platoon commander in the Mobile Infantry, the space soldiers of the future. Juan’s story starts his senior year of high school. Juan’s best friend Carl intended to join the Federal Service in the electronics field, and Juan much to his parent’s disgust decides to go with Carl to the recruiter. There they meet a fellow classmate, Carmen who is signing up to be a pilot. Juan in an effort to impress her states that he is also there to be a pilot. Ultimately Juan lacks the brains to become a pilot, and the skills to do virtually any job in the Federal Service, and as his final resort is assigned to the Mobile Infantry to become a cap trooper. Juan then goes …show more content…
Juan made many drops, or combat missions, with the roughnecks and eventually learned about the bugs. They had a caste systems made primarily of harmless workers, then for every 50 workers there was 1 warrior. The queen and elites of the bug colony, were very rare and had never been captured alive. Juan is then promoted over a senior member of his section to become section leader. Where he learns that some scores, and lessons in leadership, are best communicated fist to fist. Next Juan is recommended to become an officer, and Juan half-heartedly accepts, not sure if he is ready for the extra responsibility. Just before he is about to depart for Officer Candidate School, Juan runs into his father. He learns that after the death of his mother, Juan’s dad decided to also join the Mobile Infantry and was headed to the Roughnecks, which Juan was just departing from. At Officer Candidate School Juan’s final test is to become an acting “Third” Lieutenant and shadow an acting platoon commander. The Platoon Commander however was injured, and Juan was forced to become the platoon commander, essentially as a figurehead with all of the major orders being issued by the