Jack is the new dog at school and the newest recruit in Rusty's army. Jack struggles with following instructions and always forgets his hat, but Rusty will make a soldier out of him.
Tropes:
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Played realistically. Jack has a very short attention span and an inability to either sit still or remember things. He thinks that it's because there's "something wrong with [him]" that he's unable to do as he's told. With Rusty's help, Jack learns to push himself to the limit and focus when needs be, to the point he's able to tell his mom this entire story without getting side-tracked.
- Character Development: Jack begins the story unable to pay attention and, by his own admission, painfully aware of it. Towards the end, Jack demonstrates to his mom he's able to tell the story about his day in great detail, as opposed to losing interest in it. This is an indication how Rusty's titular game was a good experience for Jack to bring out the best in him.
- Chopper on Standby: Rusty's favorite part of playing army is calling for "dust-offs" (casualty evacuations), and then imagining that the chopper can't land and he and Jack will have to run to it. The prop they use to represent a helicopter is a peaceful treehouse nearby, in which the boys rest while admiring the scenery.
- Establishing Character Moment: In his narration, Jack's characterization is summed up in the span of half a minute. During his drive to his new school, he's demonstrated to be very fidgety, forgetful, and have a rather short attention span. And when his sister wonders why he can't simply do as he's told, his haunted "I don't know" shows he also has a sober understanding he's not like other kids.
- Faux Horrific: While "patrolling", the boys come across a bird and act as if it's an enemy soldier they need to flee from. The bird barely notices they're there.
- New Transfer Student: Jack changed schools, and this episode is his first day. While it’s not revealed exactly what happened, it’s heavily implied that the old school couldn’t handle his ADHD.
- Secret Test: Rusty asks Jack if he can follow orders, and Jack is in the middle of saying no when Rusty barks out commands, which a startled Jack follows perfectly. Rusty concludes Jack's ready to be a soldier.
- Through His Stomach: Two platonic examples.
- Rusty's dad, who is a real soldier, brings back condensed milk note from his ration kit to give to Rusty.
- In turn, Rusty gives Jack the condensed milk his father gave him, showing how much he values his new friend.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Despite clearly being younger than her brother, Lulu is smart enough to call out her brother on not sitting still and to ask in a complete sentence "Why can't you do as you’re told?" as though she herself were a tiny adult.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: After Jack opens up about his difficulties, Rusty tells him that he’s good at playing Army. This boosts Jack’s confidence.
