Sometime during John's training, intergalactic peace comes to an end and a war against the bugs erupts. The bugs nuke Buanos Aires, John's mother was there at the time. She dies. In retaliation the humans will attack Klendathu. His first assigment is aboard the combat transport Valley Forge with Willie's Wildcats Mobile Infantry unit. His first mission was Operation Bughouse in the First Battle at Klendathu, the bug's home planet. But everything went wrong. Not long after the ejection of John's drop capsule on Klendathu, the Valley Forge is hit my the transport Y'pres. During the battle, John kills as many bugs as he can until the retreat call is sounded. His ship is damaged, so for John, it becomes a race to escape alive. He gets lucky and manages to reach one of the Voortrek's capsules to get out. Kitten Smith didn't make it and dies while still in his drop capsule. Over 80 percent casualties. Six weeks later Johnnie is assigned to the Rodger Young in a new unit under the command of Jean Rasczak, The Roughtnecks. He did many drops with the Roughtnecks, but in one of the drops, commander Rasczak dies trying to save two of his troopers.