He also meets a former high school classmate, "Dizzy" Flores (Dina Meyer), who has requested transfer to Johnny's unit ostensibly because the unit is the toughest but mainly because she's infatuated with Johnny. Johnny shows himself to be an outstanding leader and is made squad leader. Johnny and the rest of the new recruits are drilled by the brutal Career Sergeant Zim (Clancy Brown). But he finds that his grades are too low to join Carmen in Flight School and is assigned to the Mobile Infantry while Carl joins Military Intelligence. Wanting to follow his girlfriend and friend, Johnny goes against his parents' desires and also enlists. Carmen and Carl enlist in the military to become citizens. Rico (Casper Van Dien), his girlfriend Carmen (Denise Richards), and best friend Carl (Neil Patrick Harris), who possesses psychic abilities, graduate from high school in Buenos Aires. In the distant future, several hundred years after a revolution by Galactic War Veterans overthrew the world's governments and imposed a militaristic regime titled 'The Global Federation of Earth', humanity is at tense diplomatic relations with an alien race whose homeworld is the planet Klendathu (one of many planets inhabited by these creatures located on the other side of the Milky Way Galaxy) who are named the Arachnids, or 'Bugs'.
The synopsis below may give away important plot points. But "bugs" prove to be smarter and more resilient than he originally thought. Driven by hatred of the insectoids, and jealousy for Carmen's new boyfriend, Johnny strives to become one of the best soldiers Federation has ever seen. When tragedy obliterates their home city of Buenos Aires, Johnny gets determined more than ever to put an end to the insectoid aggressor. Carmen decides to go to a school for a pilot in hope of commanding her own space ship one day and Johnny follows her not wanting to separate, but they eventually get separated in the line of duty when Johnny ends up in the Infantry and Carmen in the Fleet.
In the background Federation is in war with highly intelligent insectoid population that has colonized many worlds and are now trying to exterminate humans.
On the surface atmosphere looks pretty relaxed, Johnny is dating beautiful Carmen, he has successful high school football career, loyal friends and rich parents. Even in 4school students like Johnny Rico are thought about importance of serving to the Federation. Earth is united under militaristic organization called "Federation".