Rick was caught up in the Robotech war while attending the first flight of the Super Dimentional Fortress-1 (SDF-1). Roy Fokker, Ricks long time friend and leader of the Skull Squadron, was showing Rick one of the new varatech fighters when the Zentraedi attacked.

Rick was asleep in the cockpit of the varatech when he was ordered to take off and join the other fighters! When Rick arrives he is quickly shot down and plunges toward Macross City!

He is commanded to pull a lever which transforms the veratech fighter into a 50 foot robot known as a Battroid! when he takes a look around he relizes that the varatech jet he had got in to was no longer a jet and he has no idea how to work it. Luckly Roy comes along to explain how to work the battroid. Roy and Rick are on their way back when they are ambushed by Zentraedi battle pods!

On their way back Rick found a young girl in trouble by the name of Lynn Minmei. Rick picks up the young Minmei while Roy are going back to the SDF-1 which has lifted itself into an orbit high above Earth.

Soon after the SDF-1 preforms a hyperspace jump and ends up in the planet Pluto's orbit!! While the crew of the giant space fortress try to figure a way back to Earth Rick is pressured to join the Robotech Defence Force by Roy Fokker and his good friend Lynn Minmei. Rick is placed in the Skull Squadron under the command of his friend Roy Fokker who is the leader of the Skull Squadron. Rick is later promoted to Lieutenant and leader of the Vermillion Squadron. Max Sterling and Ben Dixon are placed under his command.

Roy Fokker is killed later on in the series due to a fatal wound and Rick is chossen to take his place as Skull Squadron leader.

Later Rick gets married to Lisa Hayes and the two are put in charge of building the SDF-3!