When Willie Stetson finds out he can’t keep his beloved German shepherd in his new apartment, he decides to give Firecracker to the United States Army. Cracker is paired with Rick Hanski, her handler, and together they train to become part of the Scout Dog platoon destined for Vietnam. After a slow start Cracker and Rick become a great team, pass their training and ship out to Vietnam. In Vietnam, Cracker and Rick head out on different missions where Cracker alerts the team of booby-traps and the enemy. Both Rick and Cracker experience the intensity of warfare but they help each other through.