Johnny Rico is a U.S.-born freelance journalist and war veteran currently living in the U.K. He was born Stephen Hites but changed his name to that of the protagonist of Robert Heinlein's political science fiction novel, Starship Troopers. His works include two non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles. He graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a master's degree in criminal justice in 2001 and worked as a probation officer before enlisting in the U. S. Army following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Rico served in the Army for 3 years, including a year in Afghanistan with the 25th Infantry Division.