Shooter
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Hey Paul,
Correct you are sir!
I'm sure I can speak for the CG Leadership in that any information on how we can improve or serve potential recruits is appreciated.
The moral of the story: Information on how to continuously improve = Great! - Public flaming of a longstanding, well reputed CO = Very bad.
It is honestly that because we have never had this come up, that it is so surprising.
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Hey folks,
A little late to the party here, but I just wanted to say that this thread is really quite surprising.
Roy is a founding member of the CG and has been re-elected as CO for the past 10 or 11 years, maybe longer. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met and the CG is truly a family because of him and his hardwork of over a decade.
When I started my TK journey I stumbled across the FISD first as well. Soon after I found Roy's contact info on the CG site and was quite surprised at how outgoing he was and he offered great information, tips and advice. He shared his recommendations on armour and ultimately gave me some great information to get started. Roy quickly invited me to the annual Xmas party and an upcoming armour party. I attended the Xmas party and was very pleased with the warm welcome and immediate acceptance I received.
I'm wondering why people tried to sign-up for the boards without contacting anyone first? I'm not sure what is said in that message, but to me the logical step would be to make an introduction with someone and letting them know your intentions?
Second, I'm pretty disappointed how fellow 501st members were so quick to jump on and condemn a brother without all of the information. Someone with a great reputation and tenure such as Roy should be given the benefit of the doubt.
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Well done gents
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Quote
From the DL
Election Round-up
The FISD Thanks Daetrin
Remembering A Great Artist: A Tribute To Ralph MacQuarrie
Take Your Best Shot: Tips On Getting The Most From Your Submission Pics
Trooper of the Month
Swag Alert
Greetings Troopers!
First, I would to thank everyone who supported and voted for me during the recent campaign for Detachment Leader.
There have been several changes to the command staff. Here is the new command staff:
Detachment Leader (CO) - Dashrazor - Mason Carson (TK 4603)
Executive Officer (XO) - RogueTrooper - Tom Gardner (TK5940)
Personnel officer (S1) - novatie - A.C. Meyers (TK 5597)
Deployment Officer (S7) - Locitus - Mathias Rodstedt (TK2959)
Intelligence Officer (S2) - Star Raider - Corey Andrews (TK 4524)
Public Relations Officer (S5) - AdamScottFM - Adam Scott (TK 6124)
Chief Tactical Officer (S8) - DarthAloha - Eric Brager (TK 9674)
Provost Marshall (PRM) - bobojuice - Luis Diaz (TK 7164)
Detachment Webmaster (S6) - ZeroRoom - Lucas Bowers
I would like to take this time to thank Paul and the members of the 2011 command staff and Imperial Propaganda Department that continue to devote there time and show Unquestioned Loyalty to the FISD.
We have high expectations for the upcoming year. Here are a few projects that are already in the works:
- Baseline requirements for the EFX/MRCE have been added to the CRL’s and we are working on a visual guide for the baseline modifications.
- New forum skins
- Forums re-organization
- Further refining of the CRL's
- Major updates to the main page Wiki
On another note, we are also currently wanting to make the CRL’s global by translating them into other languages. We will be looking for bilingual members that want to help with the translations.
We are also currently looking for more 501st members to round out the IPM (Imperial Propaganda Machine). So, if you have photo editing skills, writing or just want to generally help take the FISD to another level, let us know.
Let’s make this a year a stellar year for the FISD!!!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "dashrazor"
Detachment Leader
First off, congratulations go to Mason for winning the 2012 FISD Detachment Leader election. Furthermore, a BIG thanks to both Mason and Mike for running clean campaigns, and to everyone who participated by asking insightful and thought-provoking questions, without coming off as trying to entrap or otherwise manipulate the candidates. This election was a pleasure to administer, and I can only hope future elections go as smoothly.
Now for some participation statistics …
If you look at the numbers, this is how it breaks out. Note that these numbers are a snapshot of the population immediately following the end of the election:
- Number of Legion-approved TKs: 2,311
- Number of full forum access detachment members: 634
- Number of DL-approved detachment members on the last day of the election: 507
- Number of votes cast: 283
Explaining the categories:
Item 1 is the total number of Stormtrooper costumes registered at Legion.
Item 2 is the subset of those who have been granted access to the Detachment Only area by the FISD Membership Officer, which is where the election Q&A took place.
Item 3 is the number of “registered voters†– note that simply owning a TK and having a Legion number does not make you automatically eligible to vote in a detachment election, per Legion rules you must be verified by the DL.
Item 4 is of course self-explanatory.
My take on this is although we are doing reasonably well in getting our full Detachment members (and status as such can be achieved simply by posting a request in the “501st Trooper Status Requests†thread) registered to vote, there is more of a gap between those who are registered to vote and those who actually do. Of course the biggest issue by far is the large gap between (1) and (2), which is a broader and more far-reaching issue than mere election participation. At the end of the day, the numbers tell me that only 12% of the Legion’s Stormtroopers chose to exercise their right to vote in FISD elections, which is of course the single most important tool one has in influencing the direction of the detachment. As a result, a small minority of troopers wield an outsized level of influence on extremely important issues such as CRLs – issues that affect ALL Legion Stormtroopers. As I stated last month, although this is *your* Detachment, if you don’t participate then you have no moral standing to complain about how things “should beâ€.
For those who exercised their right & responsibility to vote – thank you. For those who didn’t – let’s do better next year.
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Brian Robinson
TK-2918 "tkrestonva"
FISD Provost Marshal Emeritus
Paul C.Hoeffer (TK-8020) is the visionary who founded the FISD and has been the main driving force of what this Detachment has become. Without his hard work and dedication there would be no FISD as we know it today.
In the recent past, Paul told some of us that he felt that the FISD was established enough that he could step aside and not run for another term as DL. Paul said he needed to take some time off and re-charge his batteries.
Paul is now lending his expertise as the XO of the Imperial Officer’s Corp Detachment, GWL and GML for his Garrison. I have to say, if this is taking some time off , I would hate to go on vacation with you.
Paul in his Imperial Officer uniform:
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/xx316/flyinghome/e-rayofBarnsbrain_36.jpg
From all of us on the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment to you Paul, many thanks for all that you have done.
For those that did not get a chance to thank Paul, here is a link where you can express your appreciation for all of his hard work: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=18666
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK-5940 "RogueTrooper"
FISD Executive Officer
Ralph McQuarrie - Visionary, Illustrator. Artist passed away on March 3, 2012 at the age of 82. McQuarrie is best know for his concept artwork and matte paintings for the Star Wars Saga, which catapulted him into to working on some of the best known movies in the past 35 years.
George Lucas said at one point, if it had not been for McQuarries’s concept art that Lucas used to promote the original script to the to the studios, the original movie probably would not have been made.
McQuarrie’s contributions to the first film, not only shaped the look of the movie’s landscape and vehicles, but his illustrations also help create some of the iconic characters such as C3PO, R2-D2, Darth Vader, and our beloved Stormtrooper.
Not only did the world lose a great talent, but we the 501st Legion, lost a brother. In 2008 McQuarrie was inducted into the 501st Legion as an honorary member. Here is the ceremony:
McQuarrie’s talent and foresight has influenced the past two generations of artist and will continue to influence future generations of artist.
There is a saying that the work of most great artist is not appreciated until their passing. McQuarrie is the exception to that rule.
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK-5940 "RogueTrooper"
FISD Executive Officer
Special Correspondence by UKG CO - Gary Hailes, TK-2739
As many of you may know Allen Poole TK-1615 lost his long battle with cancer last September leaving behind a wife, Clare and little boy , Luke. He also left a great many friends.
Allen loved the 501st and the UKG with great passion. He would troop whenever he was able and involved his family where he could. He would always be amongst the first to volunteer his time should anyone need help and genuinely put others before himself. In his last months, Allen was actually in close communication with another 501st member who was also suffering with Cancer and spent much of his time giving him support. A true testament to Allen’s unselfish nature.
Allen married his long time love and mother of his son Clare last summer and I had the honour to be invited.
It was an amazing day topped off by members of the UKG changing into costume to welcome the evening guests. Needless to say Allen was arrested and only released on the word of his beautiful new bride. It was a very special day and I was proud to have been a part of it.
The next time I saw Allen was at his last Troop. He was awarded a gold patch for his above and beyond service to the UKG. Allen was very ill that day but despite this, insisted on going out in costume to help a raise money for a local charity. Once Allen was in costume it was as if there were nothing wrong! Allen trooped with us all day and no one would have believed how ill he was. I loved running a couple of arrest routines with him and he had certainly not lost his touch!!
At the end of the day I hugged Allen and we said goodbye. He knew it was probably the last time we would see each other and it was an emotional moment for both of us. I walked back to the car and I tried to fight back the tears. Allen was one of the bravest people I have ever met and his strength during the last months of his life was phenomenal. He really was an inspiration.
Allen sadly passed in September and the very Church where he was married that summer played host to his funeral.
Myself, Chris Baker, Steve Chafe, Kieran Thomas, Matt Sparling and Colin Wright were on duty in TK to assist with the funeral.
The Coffin was escorted from Allen’s home by Chris and Steve and then myself and Kieran accompanied them as the coffin was taken to the front of the church for the service.
The highlight, if you can have such a thing at a funeral, was the church organ playing the Imperial March! Just like Allen to make sure his funeral was done properly!!
We then attended the crematorium where Colin and Matt were on duty for the most solemn part of the day.
All in all it was a very fitting send off and most of all, Allen would have loved it!
We in the UKG have felt this loss deeply and are trying to make sure that Allen’s family still remain a part of us and continue to get our support. Later this year there will be a run of patches to honour and remember Allen and we currently have a run of 501 wristbands with which we hope, with your support, to raise almost £1000 towards his son’s future.
For more info on how you can support the wristband fund raising, here is the link: http://forum.whitear...l=&fromsearch=1
Gary Hailes
UKG - COMMANDING OFFICER
Gary Hailes
TK-2739 "89Batman"
UKG Commanding Officer
Starting from this year, I as the Deployment Officer will be dismissing EI and Centurion applications if I deem the picture quality too low to make judgement on, and/or details cannot be easily seen in submitted pictures.
Therefore I would like to provide some examples of what would be a bad picture, and what would be a good one.
This is too dark, and somewhat "grainy" in the darker areas of the armour. Also see how the lights on the left make that over exposed, in turn making my armour somewhat under exposed. Detail is too hard to make out in this picture.
This one is also underexposed. However, it is hard to make out any special detail in this picture
This third picture would be alright to use in your application. It would, however, not be good enough as a full front picture (which will be required to submit) as it is cropped at the knees. Lighting and detail is good however. This picture was taken in the exact same conditions as the previous two, only with flash added to the picture.
This is good full front picture that covers several important details in one single picture, using the same camera as above, but taking advantage of the natural light from the sun coming in from the windows.
The same goes for the full back and full left and right side pictures (not pictured here)
Taking individual pictures for required elements is also a good idea. For example the sniper knee plate that in my case is not attached with rivets and for Centurion is a so called “should beâ€, that means that it is currently allowed to be attached with rivets, but that may change to require glue and no rivets.
A good full side view of both left and right of your blaster is also good to submit when making your EI or Centurion application.
So with that, I'm looking forward to seeing more Expert Infantry and Centurion applications.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Mathias Rodstedt
TK-2959 "Locitus"
Deployment Officer
HAWKEYE
HAWKEYE ( TK-8555 ) is this month's trooper of the month. Kirby is a great example of what a big part of 501st is all about - putting smiles on kids faces that don't have much to smile about in life.
Working with the Make a Wish Foundation, Kirby has done several Troops in the paediatric hospital's around Malaysia. Although Kirby works hard and often away from home, he always finds time to spend with his son and devotes many of his free weekends to helping the less fortunate.
For those of us that have never rooped for kids in terrible situations like this, it's hard to imagine how upsetting it must be to see time and time again. However, in true Trooper fashion Kirby keeps doing all he can along with the Malaysia - Brunei Outpost to bring a bit of happiness at some of the darkest times.
Well done Kirby, you make us proud.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Rob Kingman
TK-7546 "matt black"
Imperial Propaganda Machine
The 5th Anniversary patches have all been shipped. We would like to thank everyone that purchased the patches. Can’t wait to see them on a jacket - so post your pics!
There is an FISD lapel pin being put into the works. So keep an eye out for them in the near future.
There are still about 17 gold challenge coins left, and for the 2012 FISD Calendars there are only 4 left. Plus, there are tons of 5th Anniversary trading cards available. Don't miss out on these.......
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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Not much available in Canada, most guys mod hasbro's or do pipe builds.
Honestly, stay away from importing pre-built blasters, it's not that it's impossible, it's just risky.
Matt
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You won't have any trouble Trooping with a Blaster with your Garrison. However, if you show up at a Wal-mart unannounced and start threatening people with it, that's a different story
Doopydoo's will ship to Canada no problem, as it's a model kit, but you'll have no chance of getting a deactivated Sterling shipped here, or even Hyperfirm's for that matter.
There is a place in Regina where you can get Sterling parts, but your looking in the $1500-$2000 for a complete one.
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From The Detachment Leader
Election Time!
From The Detachment Leader
Attaché Report
Troop of the Month: Georgia Garrison
Swag Alert!
Greetings Troopers!
This is my last newsletter as Detachment Leader and what a ride the past 5-1/2 years it’s been. From the start the vision of the 1st Imperial Stormtroopers has been about having a place where we can come together and celebrate the Stormtrooper costume, a place where over caf and cakes we can share what we’ve learned and encourage each other to push our suits just that little bit farther. And always, doing son in the spirit of Troopers Helping Troopers.
Some ask “where do we go from here?†Every year people tell me that there’s nothing new to learn, and every year it seems indeed there is always more that’s discovered than we had thought possible. New makers, new ways of building suits, and new facts about the original suits.
Some people think the Expert Infantryman Badge program is just an award, but that viewpoint is missing the larger picture. There was a time when the TK had the lowest level of accuracy across costumes in the Legion, and people were just slapping them together with whatever came in the box - regarless of how inaccurate it was - and calling it “good enoughâ€. I believe people should be proud of their costumes and proud of the character they portray - we're supposed to be the best troopers in the Legion after all.
I'm not advocating that every suit needs to be Centurion quality, but EIB is not about the utmost in accuracy for a Legion approvable costume. It’s about taking the next step past the bare minimum. Doing those small yet noticable tweaks that really make your TK shine. The cost and effort to go EI has never been lower or easier actually, with most makers creating suits that are able to get EIB out of the box if built correctly. Even for an out of the box FX suit, EI has never been more than a small cost/effort to bring the suits to a nice standard.
MEPD has 33% of all Legion sandtroopers MEPD deployed – and their jump from CLR to Deployed is higher than ours. Think about that – what would the Legion look like if there 700 EIB TKs? What would *your* garrison look like if 1 out of 3 TK’s were at that level of quality and accuracy? Take a moment and think about that. The stormtrooper is a great costume by itself, but nothing can beat the site of a group of clean white TK’s en masse and the effect they have on a crowd.
My dream is to never again have the TK be the worst costume in the Legion – I hope it’s a dream we can all work on together. If you’re not EI already, it’s a great time to ask for help to get there. And if you are EI already, why not lend a helping hand to others? The better you look, the better we all look, after all. J
Signing off,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
As many of you know, February is election season for the 501st Legion, with elections happening at the Legion, Garrison, Outpost, Squad, and Detachment levels. The “2012 Election Forum†section at Legion has everything you need to know, including nomination criteria, campaign/election timelines, campaign rules, etc. You can also get an idea of how past elections went (and as a result an idea of how this year’s election might go) from looking at past year’s election forums. However, here are answers to a few Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: When does the election period officially start and what is the election timeline?
A: Legion election cycles typically start at 0001 GMT (12:01am) on the first Saturday of February. For 2012, the election period started at 0001 GMT on Saturday, 4 February, beginning with the opening of nominations. Nominations will close on Wednesday, 8 February. At 0001 GMT on Thursday, 9 February, the candidate Question & Answer (Q&A) phase will begin and run for five days, closing on Monday, 13 February. The next 24 hours (Tuesday, 14 February) are reserved for candidate closing statements. Voting will open at 0001 GMT on Wednesday, 15 February. Voting will end at 0000 GMT on Saturday, 19 February. The remainder of February is reserved for transitioning between administrations. Elected candidates will assume office at 0001 GMT on 1 March.
Q: Who gets to nominate candidates and/or vote in elections?
A: You are eligible to nominate and/or vote in units that you are listed as an active member per that unit’s membership rules. For the FISD, that means you must be an active Legion member with a Legion-approved TK. Simply being a forum member does not qualify – you must be a full Detachment member as shown in the Legion database. You can verify your FISD status by checking your profile data within the Membership DB on the Legion board (one of the selectable menu items on the far left of the screen). If you meet the above criteria but your Detachment Affiliation does not say “First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment (Approved)†please contact the FISD staff immediately.
Q: What FISD positions are open for election, and how do I nominate a candidate?
A: At the FISD the only electable position is that of Detachment Leader (DL), all other positions are considered Detachment Staff who serve at the pleasure of the DL. In order to nominate a candidate for DL, both you and the nominee must be an active Legion member in good standing (i.e. currently not under disciplinary sanction). All nominations are handled centrally by logging into the Legion board, selecting “Legion Elections†from the menu on the far left of the screen, and selecting a candidate from the pulldown menu. If there is a candidate you’d like to nominate but their name is not listed as one of the pulldown options, please contact the Legion Captain of the Guard. Note that you cannot nominate yourself - you must be nominated by someone else, the nomination seconded, and the nominee must accept the nomination for it to go forward.
Q: How do I ask the candidates questions?
A: A Q&A thread will be created in the Detachment Only area of the forum similar to the LCO Candidates Questions thread on the Legion board. This thread will serve as the place for Detachment Members to ask questions of the DL candidate. The DL candidates will copy and paste the questions in their own threads, and respond to the questions in their threads. As is the FISD standard, appropriate decorum is required. Flaming, baiting, prolonged “discussions†in order to bend the candidate to your personal viewpoint, or any other questions designed to harass, humiliate, or otherwise manipulate a candidate will be met with disciplinary action. Nor will this thread serve as a platform simply to make statements promoting one’s personal agenda – any such posts will be deleted. The FISD Guidelines apply here just as they would during any other discussion, if not more so.
Q: What happens if there is only one candidate?
A: If there is only one candidate, then at the close of the nomination period that candidate will be declared the winner by default. No election will take place, nor will there be a formal Q&A period. The candidate is however encouraged (but not required) to create a Q&A thread and field questions, similar to what would happen if a competitive election were taking place.
Q: How do I vote?
A: The voting process is the similar to the nomination process – log into the Legion board, select “Legion Elections†from the menu on the far left of the screen, select a candidate from the pulldown menu, and press the *Vote* button.
Remember, this is YOUR Detachment and elections are your most important opportunity to influence the direction of the FISD for the coming year. Good luck to the candidates, and if you are eligible to participate – do so!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Brian Robinson
TK-2918 "tkrestonva"
Provost Marshall
Greetings fellow troopers,
We have had some great achievements in the EIB and Centurion programs over the last month.
FIrst, I would like to congratulate Graeme Noble (TK-3896) from the UK Garrison for becoming the FISD's 200th EIB recipient!
Great work trooper!!!
I would also like to congratulate Adrian Lighton (TK-4347) from the UK Garrison for being the first trooper to attain ANH Hero Centurion Status!
Outstanding!!!!
Looking back at the history of the EIB program you can clearly see that the program is becoming the baseline for most new troopers. From the beginning of the Expert Infantry program in 2007 to 2010 we had 100 approved EIB recipients. From 2010 to 2011 the number had almost doubled to 200.
With that in mind, I am setting a goal of another 100 EIB's, which will give us a total of 300 recipients by the end of 2012. This may seem like a lofty goal but with the current trend of Troopers making there costumes EIB and Centurion out of the box and with the success of the Attaché program, I can see us attaining this. Sooooo, come on EI and Centurion troopers, get out there and help your fellow troopers reach this goal!!!
Now with the availability of screen accurate armor and better accessories, combined with the information that can be attained from whitearmor.net, going to these levels is easier than ever!! You can see in the photos below how the face of the Stormtrooper costume has changed since the legion began.
Since the Stormtrooper is one of the most iconic and recognizable characters from the Star Wars Saga and since it was the very first costume in the Legion, it should be portrayed in the best light possible. By going for EIB or Centurion you are doing your personal best to improve the appearance and preserve the iconic image of the Imperial Stormtrooper. Let's do it for the pride of the Empire!!!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
First and foremost,
Thank you for such a great concept, Vern! And to Brian for heading it up!
I can only hope that every 501st detachment one day has the "Attache" program.
When I first began building my RT kit back in 2010, there really wasn't a person I could go to for TK advice. I did all the research myself and built it myself. With the help of the folks here, of course. I think that may have contributed to why it took me 18 months to finally decide to buy my armor. I was told by SL/CC/TK 585 to do my research and to read everything I could on here, which I did. But, if I had had someone to call or to get advice and ideas from, I would have made the decision sooner.
I take pride in being able to help new guys/gals who are looking to join the 501st with the building process of their costumes. I take even more pride in helping the members who came before me, take their costumes to another level in accuracy.
I had the privilage of having a future prospect, Thalizar, come to my home on December 26th for an all day mini armor party. He had just received his new ATA full kit and was eager to start the build process. He arrived around 9am and after a short introduction we headed downstairs "where the magic happens". He had some parts trimmed and many that he was unsure how far to trim. I must have said "always measure twice, cut once" a thousand times...poor guy. He was really worried about the helmet and didn't want to mess it up. So, I helped by adding 2 rivets to the sides to attach the cap/back to the faceplate, but that's as far as I was going to go. I told him he could adjust the faceplate to get the brow where he liked it and that the rest was up to him, explaining that he would get more satisfaction of finishing the helmet on his own rather than me doing it for him...he agreed. Of course, if he would have insisted that I finish it, I would have, but that wasn't the point. Getting someone to feel comfortable working on their armor is more rewarding than anything I have ever experienced.
The night before, I was asked by TK-5270, if I was available to do a short troop for her family who had flown in from AZ for the holidays. Her cousin's young boys were Star Wars nuts like us and it would make their visit, a memorable one. I asked Dan if he would like to join us as an observer to see "who we are, what we do". He was all for it.
We got suited up in a garage, a 28 degree garage, and proceeded to the front door of the home. We were greeted by the kids with mouths open wide. After a short visit and a round of picture taking, we headed out to change. Dan really liked the experience and thanked me for taking him along. I think we got him hooked!
We got back to armor around 7:00pm and worked until around 10:30pm. We got almost everything trimmed and assembled the shins. I tried to pump him full of confidence so he would feel comfortable working on the rest at home. He lives about 6 hours away and I wasn't able to swing over and help after his visit.
If anyone has seen Dan's, Thalizar's TKC build thread, it looks like he's well on his way to becoming the next TKC Centurion...at least, that's what he is shooting for.
There is another armor party coming up soon where we will work on his strapping and possibly submission photos. I'll also be helping a few others with their builds.
Thanks for reading and thanks for allowing me to be a part of this awesome community!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Brian
TK-5569 "SolderMaster"
Imperial Attaché
* Only a few 2012 Calendards are left - don't miss out on the last chance to get the best artwork we've ever produced!
Sale thread: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=18149
* 5th Anniversary Trading cards are now available in 50 and 300 count packs. Get 'em while they last!
Sale thread: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=18487
* Gold 5th Anniversary Coins are still avaialble (EIB only). Once they are gone, there will never be a second run.
Sale thread: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=15729
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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Welcome Cory!
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Hello Troy, you will need TK Detachment Status.
You can make your request here: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=16
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From The Detachment Leader
Beating The Trooping Off-Season Blues
Legion Elections: DashRazor Runs For FISD DL!
Trooper of the Month: Darth Aloha
Swag Alert!
Greetings Troops! Legion elections start in just a few weeks and as such, now is as good as time as any to let everyone know that I'll not run for DL in 2012. FiSD has been an incredible journey for me: from our inauspicious start where I was wondering if I could convince 9 others to sign the application form to today, where we are the largest detachment in the Legion and are also - by raw membership - the largest unit in the Legion. Not surprising on one hand - with 2300+ TK's in the Legion we should be - but if you compare this to other detachments, stormtrooper costume counts are only holding steady while others like TB, TI, and IC are growing like gangbusters and could overtake us in the future.
As FISD has grown the time commitment to being at the helm has grown too. Even with a cracker-jack staff the hours one puts in are not for the faint of heart, or for someone not dedicated to fully serving the needs of our members. After some 5 years of this I need some well earned R&R. While I'll never fully leave FISD and will still participate in our community, it will be from the side-lines and someone else can have the big chair.
Thanks to everyone who's supported me and FISD through the years, and even to those that didn't support me but still supported FISD.
If anyone is thinking about running for DL my advice is to start planning and getting a move on now, as it's not a role one can step in to without a deal of forethought. I also suggest people carefully think this over - it would be a shame for the greatness of FISD not to continue, so please only nominate people you think are able to lead FISD to a new direction while still preserving our core values that have made us successful.
Thanks all.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
If your Garrison is anything like mine, you are now in what I call the trooping “off-seasonâ€. The Christmas & New Year’s holiday troops are past, and there isn’t much going on in terms of trooping opportunities until springtime. What to do?!?
How about knocking out those costume upgrades that have been on the “I’ll eventually get around to it†list? If the idea of Expert Infantry or Centurion appeals to you, now is the perfect time to get your armor out of its bin and make those upgrades prior to the onset of trooping season. With Celebration 6 coming up this summer, you’ll definitely want to look your best.
Another idea is to start on an entirely new build. Whether you’re a Stormtrooper loyalist who is looking to take the next step (or grand leap) in armor, or if you’re looking to expand your costume repertoire and try a new costume, now is the time. While we all love our white armor, it’s also nice to have a secondary costume that allows for a greater degree vision and mobility, especially when you just want to hang out for a bit. A third option is to help grow the Legion, your Garrison, and your Detachment by bringing along a new Trooper. As most of us have observed at some point, the only thing cooler than a Stormtrooper is LOTS of stormtroopers!
Garrison armor parties are a great way to keep in touch with your Garrison mates, and at this point in my time with the 501st I actually derive more pleasure out of helping a prospective Trooper assemble his armor and earn his TKID than working on my own costume. Building my own kit is fun, but teaching/coaching brings a sense of fulfillment that is hard to describe. Whatever you choose, just because we’re in the offseason doesn’t mean that you have to be inactive. Get up from in front of the computer, break out your armor and tools, and get going!
Brian Robinson
TK-2918 "tkrestonva"
Provost Marshall
Greeting Fellow Troopers,
Today, I am officially announcing my candidacy for the Detachment Leader of the FISD.
One of my goals as Detachment Leader will be to continue the forward direction of the White Armor Forum. Taking a look at the past few years at how the Forum has grown and matured gives me hope to my aspirations of what we can achieve in the year to come...
Currently the FISD has one of the most solid Staffs to date. With that in mind, I still will be looking towards expanding the staff in order to accomplish the goals I have in mind.
If I am nominated and elected as the FISD Detachment Leader, here are a few of my goals for 2012:
*Improved multi-lingual support
*Improved site functionality
*Expanding and improving the visual references for the costuming standards
If I am nominated, I will appreciate your support and vote in the upcoming election. If I am elected your new Detachment leader, please be assured that my door will always be open to any and all FISD members for their causes, concerns, and ideas.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
This month's well deserved Trooper of the Month is the FISD's resident Hawaiian funny man, Darth Aloha.
As many of you would be aware in the second half of 2011,http://www.whitearmor.net decided to revamp the reception centre and switch over to the more in depth and interactive wiki format. While RogueTrooper and his team crafted the CRL's Darth Aloha enthusiastically put his hand up to format and build the wiki based Reception Centre from scratch. Darth Aloha had a good year here on FISD under his belt, but had only just begun his official membership with the 501st when he burst out of nowhere with the offer of his skills, and he hasn't let up since. He has worked tirelessly and non-stop to get the Reception Centre up and running and make the FISD knowledge repository better than ever before.
In addition he somehow finds time to contribute constantly to the forums, in a meaningful and helpful way, offering advice, hard earned from his spectacular RT-Mod build, making new members feel welcome and always dishing out his inimitable brand of hilarious commentary to every aspect of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Department forums.
With his friendly and gregarious attitude Darth Aloha is exemplary of the Troopers Helping Troopers unofficial FISD motto and a truly deserving winner of this month's Trooper Of The Month Award.
Congratulations DarthAloha!
Time is fast running out to order your 2012 FISD Calendar. Only a limited number have been made, and once gone, they are gone. Order today!
The 5th Anniversary 10" patch run is closed and items have been ordered. We should have those shipping in a few weeks. FISD trading cards are in stock and the for sale thread will go up soon. These are also in limited quanties and will be sold in fast packs of 50 and also larger packs of 300. (add picture)
I still have a chunk of EI gold coins - so if you are an EIB or Centurion recipient and haven't already purchased a gold coin, please do so. Only 20 left and when they are gone, there will never be another run.
Lastly, if you haven't ordered your trading cards, now is an excellent time to do so. Only a few slots remain for our inaugural design, and the pricing can't be beat!
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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It really depends on the size, shape of your thigh. I would recommend as Terry showed to put together the Front first, then do some test fitting and trimming until you have the fit you're looking for.
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I use the white skin. Gives the forum a more "stormtrooper-ish" look. And plus, it's easier to read text
Yep
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Hey Folks,
On behalf of the FISD Staff, here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy Holiday Season!
Be safe out there and be sure not to indulge so much that your Armor doesn't fit come 2012
Happy Holidays!
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Quote
From The Detachment Leader
2011: The Year In Review
From The Deployment Officer
An Interview With FISD DL And Founder Paul Hoeffer
The Best In TK Christmas Presents
Troops Of The Christmas Season
Swag Alert!
Greetings Troopers! I want to wish each and every one of you the very best this holiday season. Whether you are home or away, there is no better way to celebrate the season with your family and friends, even those friends on FISD.
The staff has put together a really nice holiday letter this month to celebrate the spirit and also to cap off another outstanding year on FISD, so grab a glass of nog (or Red Solo Cup!), kick your feet up, and enjoy!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
It’s hard to believe that 2011 has already come and is almost gone. This year we celebrated our 5th year in existence and by any metric the growth has been phenomenal. Starting from 10 members and a few posts we are now the largest detachment in the Legion. If we were a garrison, the number of Expert Infantry Badge recipients alone would make us the 6th largest unit in the Legion. Centurion has lived up to it's name and we are actually at the mark where 1% of the Legion TK's hold that title, an excellent start in it's first year.
We now have completed CRL's for every costume we support and have added to new Legion approved costumes: the Sky Trooper and the Death Trooper. Gone are the days when the only thing to do with a worn out suit was to go sandtrooper, the advent of having 6 EU costumes provides ways for troopers to stretch themselves creatively. In fact there are more EU stormtroopers than there are canon ROTJ or ESB, so they are definately gaining in popularity.
For those who are fans of the canon stormtroopers, just as last year was the year the ESB troopers really came in to their own, this year we've seen a run-up and invigoration of the ROTJ trooper. There are now solid sources for ROTJ armor, helmets, and accessories so it's no longer the case that you have to modify ANH armor to do this costume. Several troopers have really done bang-up jobs in re-creating these costumes and I think next year we'll see even more as we get closer to the 30th Anniversary of ROTJ.
Looking back further we can see another measure of success that this detachment has been part of. Five years ago the average Legion stormtrooper looked much like this fellow - 100% out of the box FX, with black drop box straps no less:
Today, most Legion stormtroopers are far more accurate and look like the fellow below, which was good enough to use in an LFL book shoot:
And yes, in this case it's the same fellow (me). The advent of the CRL process has provided more detailed and correct guidance than there ever has been before for new and existing troopers alike, whether on their first costume or upgrading that old FX kit. The constant evolution of armor makers is that kits get cheaper and more accurate every year, which in parallel means that it's never been easier to create costumes of a level that was considered rare, expensive, and difficult to achieve only five years ago.
Lastly I'd be remiss if I did not clal out some special troopers on staff for recognition. While we have the Achievement Award to recognize outstanding troopers in the field, staff work day in and day out with little reward and are deserving of our thanks and gratitude:
Lucas (ZeroRoom) for rescuing our website from a less than stellar upgrade and giving us a fantastic skin again
Matt (Shooter) for being the force behind getting these newsletters out. Not an event goes by that troopers don't remark on how the newsletter helps them stay in touch
Brian (tkrestonva) for keeping the peace for several years now. When was the last time we had a flame war anyway?
Tom (RogueTrooper) for getting our CRL's in order, keeping our wiki updated, and also for being an all around helpful person
Mason (dashrazor) has helped many troopers on their accuracy journey as Deployment Officer, and also pioneered the SkyTrooper
A.C. (novatie) for not missing a beat in keeping membership issues squared away
Aaron (Synaptyx) for being our resident merchandise artist, creating all our 5th Anniversary designs and also our Centurion tab
Damian (Dmian) for taking the helm with numerous site issues earlier in the year, and also helping update our branding graphics
Terrell (SuperTrooper) may not post much anymore, but he's been taking my phone calls weekly (or more) and coordinating many areas behind the scenes
Also members of the IPM team, who've been working as a machine to keep this place hopping
Ryan (bluehickey) has been doing near all the EI and Centurion photo processing, plus many of the CRL images
Jesse (TK 4702) for numerous graphics and also the incredible calendar that will be released soon
Luis (bobojuice) for stepping in and helping out with many graphics requests
Tray for the trading cards - he's been unstoppable!
Wyatt (TK4205) for our coin run & patch run
My apologies for anyone I left out - so many people worked together this year to make FISD the best place to go for everything stormtrooper related. It truly has been a team effort, and we thank you for the privelege of serving you. There is no more fun group of guys and gals in the galaxy.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
In an effort to strengthen the levels of the FISD programs, I am proposing some changes to the Centurion program concerning the AM/FX chest plate, back plate and greaves/shins.
For the Requirements:
1. The AM/FX style stock/unmodified chest plate needs modifications to meet the requirements for the Centurion level.
2. The AM/FX style stock/unmodified back plate needs modifications to meet the requirements for the Centurion level.
​3: There is also a major assembly problem with the AM greaves/shins armor that affect all levels of the requirements.
Note: This may be added to the base CRL requirements.
*The AM greaves (shins) shall be on the proper legs, with a new cover strip. The cover strip edge shall be facing the inside of the leg.
Also the base CRL will be updated to clarify that the MRCE/EFX helmets will need to be modified to meet legion standards. While this is something known by most members here, the addition of this to the base CRL's will be helpful to new members when deciding on a new helmet.
501st members can view the discussion HERE
The Poll is now open to vote: Please vote and tell your friends who are full detachment members to do the same.
501st members can vote on the amendment HERE
UPDATE
We are currently up to 192 approved EIB's!!! just one more month to hit our goal of 200! The Centurion ranks are growing as well, currently there are 23 approved Centurions!! I would love to see this number get up to 30 by the new year.
Keep up the great work troopers!!
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff468/ZeroRoom1/Underbanner-1.png
Article By: RogueTrooper
With the upcoming 5th Anniversary of the FISD, what better way to get some history and insight into the forum, than to sit down and talk with the person who has been here from the beginning. I am, of course talking about the founding member and Detachment Leader, Paul Hoeffer (TK 8020) Daetrin.
Collage designed by RogueTrooper
I could go into Paul’s background and what his favorite foods are, his love for motorcycles, and his family life, but I thought instead, that I would share the first time I met Paul in person. I had been on the FISD for awhile, but never really met anybody that was on the forum, face to face. It was the first day of C5. I had just purchased my tickets to meet some of the Star Wars’ celebrities and while meandering through the exhibition hall I saw a guy dressed in all black, wearing a beret. He was talking to a man in a Stormtrooper costume. I actually walked up to survey the guy’s armor. When I heard the man dressed in all black giving pointers to him, about going EI, I chimed in with a few things myself . The guy in all black with the beret gave me a quizzical look, like how did you know that? I threw my hand out to him and said “how are you doing, Paul, I see that you can’t take a break from the FISD work, even on your vacation." He still didn’t know who I was even after I told him my full name. It wasn’t until I told him my forum name, RogueTrooper, that it clicked with him and we had a good laugh. After having a conversation, he and his Garrison mate and I went our separate ways to enjoy the convention. I didn’t think I would probably see Paul again, since it was such a big convention with so many people there. But, the next day, I showed a guy that I struck up a conversation with while waiting in line, the 501st room. He was astonished by everything he saw in the room. I noticed a group of Stormtroopers standing over to one side of the room and made my way towards them. Once again, there was Paul talking about TK armor. The TK’s were just a few minutes away from doing a troop. They were going to be walking their captured Rebel Fleet Soldiers through the main exhibit hall. I thought to myself afterwards, that if I had walked into the room a few minutes later, I would not have been a part of it, and probably would have missed the fun. As they started their march with the prisoners, I noticed Paul did a little half skip as though he was out of cadence.. Most people would have thought he was trying to get back in stride with the group, but Paul wasn’t out of cadence at all. Even without being able to see his face, because of his helmet, I knew that the little half skip was his “Oh What a Feeling†moment, and he was simply enjoying every minute of being in his TK armor.
At C5, I got to meet some well known Star Wars’ celebrities, such as, Hamil, Kurtz, Mayhew , Peterson etc. and have cherished memories of the time I spent at C5, one of which is the memory that I just shared with you above.
Photographs and collage designed by RogueTrooper
Now on to the Main Event. I asked Paul questions that I hoped would bring insight to the workings of the last five years in one of the largest Detachments. So open the blast doors for the Q & A session to begin....
Where did the “lighting bolt†come from that triggered the idea that a forum for TK’s was needed?
Paul: My garrison was small at the time and there was little local help to be had. When doing my TD & TK, I had great experiences via detachment forums – all of a sudden instead of me and my buddy trying to read static content on someone’s website, there was the whole community of people that we could turn to for help.
After a while I wanted to upgrade my suit and there just wasn’t a really good place to turn. Sure, there was the Legion boards, but what about folks not in the Legion? I remember having an awful time trying to get transparent and reliable information locally – it was all “well, you have to know someone who knows someone†or “when you’ve been in awhileâ€. I thought it was quite silly to require new people make the same mistakes we did over and over again. When I asked on the Legion boards about a TK detachment, the answer I got was “you’re in itâ€.
At that point it seemed that if I wanted the thing done I had just better do it myself, as I was determined that new folks not have to go through the same process I did when I was getting started.
When the concept of a forum for TK’s arose what were the expectations and what was ultimately expected to be achieved?
Paul: For myself they were quite small. I think most of the old timers wanted it to fail or just didn’t care, but for myself I figured if it stayed small and I helped out even a few people, then I’d be happy. In the end I just wanted a place for stormtroopers like MEPD was for sandtroopers.
Knowing that the TK was the first costume in the 501st, and encompasses the largest group in the Legion, with that in mind, did you think back then, opening up a forum, where all Stormtrooper enthusiast could and would bring their point of view to the costume, would create an environment where the costume would grow and mature or possibly create a situation where the “A†bomb would be waiting for the button to be pushed toward disaster?
Paul: I thought it more the latter. There was some real negativity when I started – after all I had been in the Legion only a year so who did I think I was? But I had my mind made up that there was an unmet need for new folks in smaller garrisons or who didn’t have local help and needed a forum to ask questions on, so I stopped caring about the naysayers. One thing that was critical I think was creating a vision statement about what I wanted to achieve. This really set the tone for the forum and anytime a question came up about how we should operate, it kept coming back to what our goals were.
Reflecting back on the ‘07 Rose Bowl Parade (Star Warriors Documentary) that is now featured on the Star Wars Blu-ray saga set and having the best of best chosen to represent the Legion, it is really funny to see that it was a common practice that the armor was assembled with rivets protruding from the shoulder bells, forearms and other parts of the suit, and the irregular FX style helmets were the mainstay of the group participating in the Parade. Do you think that was a shot in the arm to try to help the 501st members improve the image of the TK armor or possibly start the program that has come to be known as the Expert Infantry?
Paul: Actually not. The EIB program was conceived before the Rose Parade. I had seen how effective the Police Officer program was for MEPD and how it really incentivized people to take their costumes above base accuracy (back then, a 501st sandtrooper could have a TK sniper plate, TK ab buttons, etc. and was basically a dirty TK with accessories). At the time TK’s were mostly out of the box FX, yet around me I saw other Legion costumes accuracy being increased, and with that I was determined not to let the TK become the “an impolite person end†of accuracy in the Legion, so to speak. Once again, I was on a mission. J
Before the FISD, what were the major sources to help someone assemble their TK armor? Also, on a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the highest, how far do you think the TK costume has improved in the past five years?
Paul: It depended greatly on where you were. If you were in a big garrison with a lot of local help, some garrisons had tutorials on their forums, plus there were sites like Dean Plantamura’s White Armor Chronicles that had some good information. Otherwise though, you were out on your own and we really had to dig for information.
As far as costume accuracy has gone – it’s near a night and day difference. Back when we started most of the Legion was still in out of the box FX and some folks had upgraded their helmets, and fewer still were in AP or TE armor if they could find it. Today TE derived armor is really more the norm. The FX helmet is all but gone from most of the Legion, and even in suits of armor what used to be Expert level requirements are now base CRL. In this case though, the TK is on par now with other costumes in the Legion, e.g. I think the standards are pretty consistent and fair cross-costume.
Thinking back five years to the inception of the FISD, did you have any idea that the forum would grow and want a program like the Centurion or even possibly go beyond?
Paul: Not at all. People were criticizing the EIB program (known at various times as the Mark or Elite program) as being elitist, too hard to achieve, and too restrictive. We did a lot of work to ensure that the EIB standards were achievable with only a modest investment of time and energy and thought it would just increase gradually over time as the base standards increased. However in the past year there has been a group that has felt that they wanted a path towards even greater accuracy, so rather than making the EI something only 1% achieve, we did Centurion (and as of today, only about 1% of Legion TK’s are a that mark, so Centurion indeed).
In the past five years, if there is a moment, in your eyes, that totally changed the FISD and the TK costume, what would it be?
Paul: Aside from getting Legion approval? J
I would say it was the advent of affordable TE type armor on the market. Up until then FX was the least expensive way to go, so moving up the accuracy bar meant an investment in serious money as TE/AP type suits were about $800 or so compared to $500 for FX. Once the pricing for TE type suits became on par with FX, then we saw waves and waves of new people going straight to kits that were EIB out of the box as well as people replacing older FX suits with TE type armor. FX was even forced to change its molds to make them EIB out of the box to compete, so now pretty much new trooper can go EIB with no extra cost or time invested.
Compared to the main characters such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, and Han Solo, the Stormtrooper was considered to be a secondary character and was the main structure of the forces of the Empire. When you think of the Stormtrooper in these terms, why do you think it became such an iconic character that people gravitate towards and want to build the armor?
Paul: From a character standpoint I think it’s the fact that troopers stick together. They are hard core – doing what needs to be done without any complaint fuss. Who can’t respect the qualities of a professional soldier?
From a trooping standpoint I think it’s partly because of the helmet. When you have an exposed face people can make judgments about you in costume, e.g. maybe they don’t like the way you look for some reason. But with a helmet, I can be anybody. That anonymity is very appealing from a trooping standpoint as I can yawn, close my eyes, roll my eyes even and no one knows.
The other part is that it’s a group costume. There can be only one Darth Vader at an event and you have to play that part, but with a TK you can hang out with other TK’s and also have a little of your own personality shine through.
Why do you think that the Stormtrooper is one of the costumes that has such a fanatical base,(they are rivaled only, by a few other costumes in the Legion, such as Darth Vader, Boba Fett, etc.) that are not only striving to get to level of screen accuracy but are constantly debating about the original materials, tools, etc. that were used to create the screen used suits?
Paul: Actually I think all costumes in the Legion do this. If you go on MEPD they are scouring their old auntie’s cupboard for old tupperware parts. Biker scouts are equally fanatical about their details as well. I think we as TK’s simply think we’re more fanatical, but the reality is we’re all the same. J
When originally set in motion, the FISD was a forum based just on the canon TK’s (ANH, ESB, ROTJ). Now that the FISD has broadened its horizons with the Expanded Universe section and with new generations of Star Wars enthusiast that may have been introduced to a Galaxy Far, Far Away through the Prequels and other mediums, such as video games, etc. For these generations, the Original Trilogy, probably was not a part of their heritage. They may not have a passion for the “plain vanilla Stormtrooperâ€, and may have more of an interest in building a Clone Trooper. So with that in mind, do you think that the EU TK’s will help generate interest from the new generations in the OT TK’s that otherwise might not have been interested in them, or, on the other hand, someone who had an OT TK and lost interest, then found the EU and revitalized their interest?
Paul: I think it’s more the latter. Young kids are all about clones, and they keep cranking out new clones with new colors, etc. every season of Clone Wars. If you look at people who do TK’s, they are mostly older people (I think) who are more attached to the original series. The advantage of the EU TK’s is that they can provide an option for old suits. Before if you had a banged up TK you made it a sandtrooper, but now you can just make a Commander, Incinerator, or Sky trooper out of the suit. The Commander and Incinerator seem to be especially popular.
With the FISD’s Fifth Anniversary upon us, what do you wish had been done differently over the past five years, if anything?
Paul: I think the Reception Center is the one thing I had really high hopes for that never really made it out of the park. The idea was that this would contain the best of the best tutorials and overviews of armor and assembly. I’m really not sure what to have done differently on it, I’m open to suggestions!
What challenges and what do you see ahead for FISD?
Paul: The biggest challenge is just ensuring that the forums & wiki site are kept up to date so that it’s easy to find information. Also, my overriding concern is we never lose the Troopers Helping Troopers spirit that we started with. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the accuracy wars or cool merch, but at its heart a detachment exists primarily to help new and existing Legion members get help with their costumes, and also to provide a sense of community and esprit de corp.
Collage designed by RogueTrooper
Thank you Paul, for taking the time to be a part of this article. I also wanted to thank you for striving to create this forum where your dedication and hard work has given help to TK enthusiast around the world. I would also like thank the FISD members for making the forum a quality site for information, help and camaraderie.
It is truly hard to consider a time when there was not a Stormtrooper Detachment. I can tell from all the newcomers, starting their journey, as well as, the veterans that find themselves looking to upgrade from their 8 year old armor, that they are truly appreciative for all the help and information found in this open forum to help them make informed decisions when it comes to their TK armor.
Here is to the past 5 years and the future of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment. Salute
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK-5940 “RogueTrooperâ€
Tactical Officer
The Christmas season is once again upon us, and as we all know Christmas is the season of giving. It is of course also the season of receiving! So what's a self respecting Stormtrooper asking Darth Claus to leave under the Christmas tree this year?
For those of you whose loved ones might need a nudge in the right direction, we've taken time out to prepare a short list of the best in TK merchandise, guaranteed to please even the most hardened Imperial Trooper this holiday season.
HALLMARK STORMTROOPER TREE DECORATION
Before the big day even comes, make sure to pick yourself up one of these great white plastic tree decorations to display your loyalty to the empire where it counts - your Christmas tree! These bad boys are surprisingly well sculpted for something costing under $10, and although officially discontinued by Hallmark are still widely available from places like Amazon. I can safely assure you it's the first thing to go on my tree every year
ACTION FIGURES
We all know there as many star Wars action figures out there as there are planets in the galaxy. For the completists out there some form of TK or another has been released in pretty much every figure collection since the revival of the franchise with the Powers Of The Force range back in 1997, so there's no shortage of options out there this Christmas.
For my money though, the must have release is the Joker Squad 6 pack, featuring the first officially sanctioned female Stormtrooper and a girl who's been creating quite a splash around FISD this year - Jes Gistang. Also featuring, Anson Trask, Sergeant Harkas, Hondo Karr, and Vax Potorr, this limited edition set of six 3 3/4-inch action figures features removable lids on all figures and is still available at Go Figure Action Figures and Amazon.com.
The other great Multi pack no trooper should be without is the Star Wars Evolutions set. Featuring each iteration of the trooper from the original AOTC Clone trooper through to the classic Sandy, as the name suggests you can display the full evolution of white plastic in the Star Wars universe. Consider it a quick visual history lesson for any less informed visitors to your quarters.
The Evolutions pack is available in two editions: regular troopers and a commander set and comes with two extra guns - a clone rifle and a clone blaster rifle.
THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES...
Of course there's more than one way to skin a Bantha. Another cheeky way to explore the trooper evolution is with these adorable little TK Russian dolls from Hot Toys. Starting with the original clone armor as the smallest 'babooshka' creations nest, one inside the other, all the way through to the classic TK on the outside. Best of all - with this great nested system you can always have them on show according to the amount of space you have!
NEED MORE IMPERIAL CREDITS?
Still saving for that RS Propmasters kit or a CFO ROTJ to complete the trilogy set? There's no better place to stash those imperial credits than in this TK Bucket shaped piggy bank from Disney. Although it suffers a little from the MRCE symmetry issue, this a nice scaled piece of trooper merch that can fulfill your needs for both form AND function as it sits atop your shelf. Pick one these fiduciary aids from Amazon or Disney.
GOT A BAD TRANSMITTER?
Instead of pointlessly tapping on your helmet pick up a pair of these Funko Stormtrooper headphones. Although I can think of a more obvious design for a set of TK earphones (ear caps, product designers?) all you audiophiles out there will appreciate the great sound quality these affordable earphones put out of their 40mm drivers. With a standard 3.5mm audio jack, these ear blasters are fully adjustable and compatible with most iPods, MP3 players and game stations. If the giant DJ look isn't your thing they also come in a smaller foldable version and Entertainment Earth has both.
IMPERIAL APPAREL
Can't stay out of armor but keep getting odd looks at Barbeques? These simulated armor tee shirts from Forbidden Planet should satiate your desires. Looking just like your chest and shoulder armor you'll always be rocking the white no matter how casual the situation.
Of course this simply won't be enough for some of you. In that case zip up your hood, give up on breathing and order the Freelance Studios Stormtrooper hoody from The Big Bad Toy Store. This toasty little number is perfect for those frosty winter days, and can get you to and from troops without ruining the mystery of who's behind the helmet...
JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG...
Of course we all know this just scratches the surface of what's out there in the TK Merch world. For the tech heads there are TK iPhone covers, Stormtrooper thumbdrives and Stormtrooper mousepads. If your handy in the kitchen Big Bad Toy Store are offering TK Spatulas and helmet shaped icecube trays. For the fun lovers there are bobbleheads and backpacks and for the serious collector there are brilliant pieces of sculpture from ArtFX, Kotobukiya and Sideshow.
All that being said - the top of my Christmas wish list this year belongs to Gentle Giant. They are well known around here as purveyors of fine TK sculpts but they've outdone themselves with these glorious bookends portraying Luke and Han in white armor as they struggle for their lives in the trash compactor:
Whatever your tastes and budget, there's no denying that with the right wish list in your gloved hand there'll be a grin on the face of every loyal trooper this Christmas.
And don't forget - whatever white plastic shows up in your stocking this year, post it here for all to share the love
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Lucas
"ZeroRoom"
Webmaster
December is not only the busy month for Santa Claus, but for the 501st, as well, with parades, Toys for Tots, and the DK in your stocking tour, or just having a lot of merry fun at holiday parties. It is truly a wonderful time to be trooping.
CAROLINA GARRISON IN THE FAYETTEVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE:
This year's Fayetteville Christmas Parade was rocked by the boys in white from the Carolina Garrison who sent the crowd wild representing Star Wars in the flesh, as seen in the video posted here:
STAR GARRISON ARRESTS SANTA:
"Look sir - Candy Canes."
Star Garrison put Santa under Imperial scrutiny but kept in the Christmas spirit by letting him go to delivery presents galaxy wide. Read about black and white meeting red and white in the troop reports here: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=17848
GARRISON CARIDA: DK STAR WARS IN YOUR STOCKING TOUR:
Garrison Carida spent two quality hours doing a DK Books "Star Wars in Your Stocking" event swamped by a sea of kids. Read about this hugely popular event at http://www.danbeltz....wordpress/?p=98
THYLACINE SQUAD: SPECIAL KIDS CHRISTMAS PARTY:
Australia's Thylacine squad put an army of kids through their paces at a Tasmanian sports stadium for a special kids Christmas party. The troops of Thylachine Squad share their experiences in this video below:
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Just in time (almost!) for Christmas, Darth Santa has decreed that there should be a bounty of gifts for one and all! Where shall we start?
-> 10" 5th Anniversary Patches are now on sale - get this one of a kind patch here: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=18038.
-> 2012 FISD Calendars are available. These are incredible and perhaps the best 501st calendars ever made.
-> 5th Anniversary Trading Cards
Also in stock...
-> FISD Expert Infantry and Centurion tab patches- still a lot for sale.
-> Gold 5th Anniverary coins are still avaible for any EIB holder who hasnot bought theirs yet - only 20 left!
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Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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Quote
From The Detachment Leader
Troop of the Month! Air And Scare Troop
Tip of the Month!
Return of the ROTJ Trooper!
The Passing Of Allen Poole
Swag Alert!
Congratulations to everyone who was able to enjoy Halloween with fun, good costuming, and good company. While Halloween has become a time to enjoy ourselves, in November in the US falls the holiday of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a holiday where we not only take time to count our blessings, but also share our good fortune with others, especially those in need. Truly a time for helping others, it's a perfect time also to remind ourselves of the primary mission of this detachment so concisely summed up in our unofficial motto: Troopers Helping Troopers.
This month then I'd like to encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on this and look for an opportunity to help out a fellow trooper in need. Perhaps it's helping get their armor squared away, answer new people's questions, or taking the time to create or update a tutorial or even just some well found tips in trooping or armor building. Whether here on FISD or locally at your garrison level, big or small, with many or helping even one person, the spirit of giving your time freely to help another is always worth acknowledging.
Come share your stories on FISD this month at http://forum.whitear...showtopic=17418 - together we can truly make a difference.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
By Brian Robinson (tkrestonva)
On Saturday, October 29th Garrison Tyranus played host to our Old Line Garrison brothers and our comrades-in-fandom from the Rebel Legion (Freedom Base) and R2 Builders Club (Washington, D.C. area) at Air & Scare, the annual Halloween event at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the U.S. National Air & Space Museum, near Washington Dulles International Airport.
As Halloween celebrations go in the National Capitol Region, this is the premier event and draws fans from all over the region. It is an indoor, safe, family-friendly event that's free to the public and largely staffed by volunteers from a number of different organizations. This year we had over sixty Star Wars-themed costumed participants, and that number doesn’t include the lesser-known Star Wars costume groups and non-Star Wars costume fan groups who were also in attendance.
Although the numbers aren’t in yet, last year drew approximately 30,000 fans for this one-day event, an attendee number larger than many multi-day conventions and a museum visitor count second only to the museum’s Opening Day. If the massive and extremely enthusiastic crowds (many of the museum visitors of all ages were dressed in their own Star Wars costumes) are any indication, this year we expect an even bigger final count. If you love Halloween, Star Wars, or aviation and spaceflight history and are in the Greater Washington D.C. area around the end of October, this definitely is a must-do event – your children (including your inner child) will thank you for it!
On a personal note, this was my fourth "Air & Scare" and being able to participate is part of what caused me to seek out the 501st Legion to begin with. Every year I look forward to it with the same level of anticipation as Dragon*Con or a SW Celebration, and this year was no exception. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Check out photos from the event here: http://forum.whitear...=0
Or head to Flickr for the full set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zhunter/sets/72157628040265768/with/6307171133/
With Unquestioned Loyalty
Brian Robinson (tkrestonva)
TK-2918
By Jesse J. McClear "TK-4702"
Hi Guys!
Today I'll be sharing my secret to getting a nice even trim-line around a thermal detonator end-cap.
Here's what you'll need to get started:
- A flat (sturdy) surface
- X-acto knife (or utility knife)
- 1" (or 3/4") roll of masking tape.
The screen used end caps were 3/4", but some people prefer the look of a 1" end cap. Today we will be making them at 1".
First, place the roll of tape on a flat surface, and put your end cap inside (opening facing up). Next, place the tip of the knife about 1/16" (or so) past the inside edge of your tape roll. Then, place your index finger on top of the blade to hold it in place (please use caution when handling the knife). Now, lightly hold and rotate the end cap against the blade until it comes full circle. Note: You don't need to press very hard, just enough to score the surface. Also be sure to keep the end-cap flat on the surface for an even cut.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Jesse
TK-4702
Imperial Propaganda Machine
by Matt "Shooter" MacNeil
Return of the Jedi goes down as one of my absolute favourites in the Saga. It was actually the first Star Wars movie I saw in theatres which my Dad took me to when I was 3 and I remember forcing him to take me to find an ROTJ Luke figure immediately after.
Despite so many pluses of the movie such as the Battle over the Sarlacc pit and Speeder Bike chases, it was not a good showing for us TK's. Not only did we get a royal thrashing by a group of primitive Teddy Bears, but our suits seemed to have a weird look with our lips painted black and window trim around the armor, a far cry from our shiny whites on the first Deathstar in ANH.
By the time we got to ROTJ it had been six years and two movies since our introduction and by then while some suits were made new, a lot were recycled ANH and ESB. Repairs had to be made, sets were mismatched and ultimately thrown together, and shooting was done in a backwoods forest. Ultimately, we were not pretty.
However, that got me thinking - were they suppposed to be pretty? I mean, after all, they were stationed on a FOREST planet. A lot of talk goes to the specialization of Sandtroopers, but no credit is given to the specialized force that was sent down on some intergalactic camping trip. They weren't even given any special equipment to deal with their environment and who knows how long the deployment was.
One thing that struck me about the Endor Trooper was the size, they looked big and mean. Now, this could be relative to the fact they were throwing around Ewoks, but for the first time, TK's looked like a Brute force. With their big shoulders and black teeth, they looked menacing. I remember when Luke is being escorted to Vader and they towered over him, they for once looked like the Imperial Badass they were meant to be.
Even their voices sounded meaner, in the scene where they have Han and Leia "trapped" at the Power Generator, the voice on that Trooper means business. In retrospect, the image painted of the Endor Trooper was one of a rough, hardened Trooper, I mean you would have to be, to be able to deal with small furry like creatures with such coldness and tenacity.
Still, the popularity of the ROTJ Trooper in the Legion is clear in it's handful of numbers. There are more Expanded Universe Troopers in the Legion than ROTJ, that says something.
However, the tide is changing and the uprise of this overlooked Trooper is commencing.
One of the main issues which made it difficult for ROTJ Trooper fans was there was a clear lack of supply, reference and research. Most armorers focus on ANH or even ESB, but until recently, there hasn't been much focus on ROTJ at all. Also, the ROTJ Armor is very different from the ANH and ESB and not interchangeable as the first two were.
Introduce "Cast From Original" (CFO) - CFO is the first armorer to offer ROTJ kits exclusively, and not only that, they look great. The introduction of an "ROTJ Only" armorer answered some serious questions about this Trooper and no longer were new ROTJ builds a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. CFO kits are designed for the exact purpose of being all that encompasses ROTJ.
With that came along the first replication of the "Endor Trooper" one that many of us (myself included) never gave much thought of. Here at the FISD we mainly focus on "clean TK's" and leave the "getting dirty" part to the MEPD. Now, we have a Trooper, from the original movies, that we can get uniquely dirty and have as our own. Not sand blasts from the desert, but the dirt and grime of a harsh woodland forestation, Cool!
Here's what I'm talking about:
CFO Founder Mark "sskunky's" Endor Trooper
So, things are changing in the Trooping World and the ROTJ Trooper is back in full force! Who knows, maybe next year they may have their own detachment, just like our brothers and sisters at the MEPD, I for one hope so!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
The FISD would like to send their Condolescences to the friends and family of Fallen Trooper Allen Poole. Our hearts and thoughts are with you during this tough time.
Hi everyone - three items you should all be aware of this month:
1. FISD patches will be on sale this week. There is limited stock on most items, but we will have lots of tabs. It will be the last run of the year, so do get your orders in.
2. Large 5th Annivesary patches will also go on sale this month. We've got our vendor issues sorted and found an even lower price, so look for the interest thread also this week.
3. MEPD/FISD is considering doing a joint ops coin or patch this year to celebrate their 10th and our 5th anniversaries together, and to celebrate that these two detachments and costumes work so well together. So - come to FISD and post your thoughts!
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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That is great news, looking forward to this picking up steam again!
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Wow, that is crazy good.
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Nice.
Keep Calm and Chive On!
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Welcome Dan!
First, The CG only allows 501st members on their forums, so you will have to wait until you are activated to be able to log on. I would in the meantime contact our CO Roy Mitchell and introduce yourself.
Second, Troopermaster is a great kit, however, keep doing your research, there are lots of great armourers here and you want to make sure you get the right kit for you.
Glad to have you!
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Thank for putting me for TOTM, I'm really honored by that
You deserved it Steve, Great Job!
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********** THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE E-MAIL BLAST WHICH DIRECTS YOU TO THE OCTOBER NEWSLETTER INSTEAD OF NOVEMBER. FOR THE NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER PLEASE VISIT HERE: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=17456&hl=&fromsearch=1 *****************************
Quote
From The Detachment Leader
Deathtrooper CRL is Finalized!
Trooping Halloween
The 501st Troops Blu Ray Releases Across the Planet!
Special Report! UKG CO Shares his Experience of the UKG Blu Ray Troop
Getting to Know Your Fellow Trooper
EIB Update
Trooper of the Month - Stevechewbacca
Swag Alert!
Happy Halloween Troops!
I'll keep it short and sweet this month as the real news is all the articles. Halloween is a great time for us costumers, as it's the one time a year that the general public gets dressed up like we do on a regular basis, and some will find that they like it so much that they want to join us. So there are excellent recruiting opportunities as well as an excuse to let our hair down and have fun with our costumes. Did you do anything special for the holiday? If so, send in your pix to Shooter and show off what crazy things you did in armor this Halloween.
And in the spirt of Halloween we're proud to announce the approval of Death Trooper in the Legion. Love it or hate it, you can't deny it gives people an option for what to do when their armor wears out.
Stormtrooperguy did an excellent job on his build and deserves kudos for his attention to detail.
Also - for you merch lovers - keep an eye out as the 12" patch sale will start soon as well as some neat t-shirt options for 501st members.
Lastly...EIB, EIB, EIB. I'm seeing a lot of folks just a mod or two away from hitting EIB. If you are in this state - let's get 'er done! There are tons of resources available on FISD to help you out, and even an FX kit can be made EI for ~$50 and a few hours of work. As Vader would say: "No excuses".
Even if you are not an Attache, helping other troopers get to EI is a worthy activity for us all and fully in keeping with the spirit of our unofficial motto "Troopers Helping Troopers".
Maybe we should have an "I brought a friend to EI" award? Let me know what you think!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
Article written by RogueTrooper
Back on October 13, 2009, a novel written by Joe Schreiber titled Death Troopers was released. It takes place about a year before A New Hope. The novel, Death Troopers encompasses two major genres, Star Wars and horror. A deadly virus has infected the crew of the Star Destroyer, the Vector. This deadly virus turns anyone into the living dead, and anyone that comes in contact with the Star Destroyers crew find themselves knowing the true meaning of horror….
For all you Star Wars fans, who are also fans of horror, I had the privilege of writing the Death Troopers requirements and I just finished tweaking the Death Trooper CRL in time for Halloween. So if you have read the Death Troopers and want to get your zombie TK on, now is your chance to, especially now that it is a 501st Legion approved costume.
And death is only the beginning….
The 501st approval requirements are listed in black.
FISD Defines two additional, optional levels of costuming excellence: Expert Infantryman and Centurion. Below, the requirements for Expert Infantryman are listed in blue. Centurion requirements are listed in maroon.
For 501st membership only the requirements in black need to be met.
Helmet
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look. If any large areas are missing from the helmet and skin is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Should have stains to emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Traps (trapezoids on dome of helmet) and tears (area beneath the corners of eye lenses) are gray.
*Rear traps and tears have vertical black lines.
*Lenses are flat material, green in color, sufficiently dark enough to obscure the costumer's eyes.
*The “ear” bars have three or four bumps and should be gray or painted gray, with a black outline. Painting the bumps with rank stripes (highlighted) in black is optional.
*Frown is painted gray and does not leave the teeth area. Eight total teeth on the frown are cut out.
*Tube stripes are medium blue, numbering between 9 and 16 per side with the curve bends extending backwards.
*Vocoder (vertically ribbed chin detail) is painted black.
*Aerators/Hovi mix tips (cylinders on either side of the vocoder) are black or painted black.
*Tears, traps, and tube stripes may be hand painted, decals, or decals that replicate hand painted.
*Mesh may be used behind the frown to obscure the face of the wearer.
*Note: The FX helmet is considered deprecated (to be avoided), though is acceptable for Legion requirements.
*Shall have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Ears shall have three screws per side, one above and one below the ear bar and one at the base of the helmet.
*Ear bars should have four bumps only, not three.
*Traps/tears and tube stripes shall have the correct ANH TK details.
*Correct 'Hovi mic' aerator tips.
*FX helmets are not allowed.
*MRCE and/or EFX PCR helmets are not allowed.
*ANHv2 helmets are not allowed.
*Ear bars shall have only one or two bumps painted in black (rank stripes).
*Neck trim shall be of an s-type profile rather than a u-type profile.
*Tears/traps shall be hand painted or use decals that emulate hand painted (with correct ANH TK details).
Neck Seal
*Black with horizontal ribs, fitted to the wearer, and extending from the base of the neck to the top of the Adam's apple.|
*Neck Seal shall be destressed/worn.
*Neck Seal may have some rips/missing areas in the material. If any skin is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
Shoulder Straps
*These shall be securely mounted in front and may free float in back. They may be affixed with rivets, Velcro, or adhesive.
*No visible rivets are allowed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*One Shoulder Strap maybe omitted from this costume (either left or right but not both) If a Shoulder Strap is omitted, then it should be replaced/tied with *Worn/old looking mummy style bandages to help hold the chest and back together.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*These shall free float in back.
*These shall be glued in front.
*The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece.
Shoulder Bells
*One on each shoulder. The shoulder bells are considered effectively symmetrical; they may be worn interchangeably on the left and right shoulders and should have a black elastic strap that wraps around the inside of the bicep.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood, Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
Biceps
*Biceps are fully closed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*One bicep may be omitted from the costume (either left or right but not both).
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
Forearms
*Forearms are fully closed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood, Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed.
Hand Plates
*Roughly pentagonal in shape, the hand plates are mounted securely over the back of the glove. As an alternative to plastic, these may be made out of latex or latex-like material.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*One Hand Plate may be omitted from the costume (either left or right but not both).
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Hand guards shall be latex or latex-like, painted white, affixed to rubber gloves in lieu of plastic hand guards.
Gloves
*Black in color, made of either rubber, nomex, leather, or leather-like material, with no visible straps or logos/designs. The fingers are enclosed, non-textured.
*Gloves shall be distressed/worn. If any skin is exposed it shall be covered with a zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Gloves shall be rubber or rubber-like chemical gloves, in black.
Chest Plate
*Chest plate overlaps the abdominal plate.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Chest plate may have one of the top corner/shoulder strap areas missing. If you are opting to damage/remove this area of the chest plate, then you should strap the remaining area with Worn/old looking mummy style bandages to help hold the chest and back together.
*May have blaster wounds.
*Shall have stains that emulate dried blood, Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Chest and back shall be connected with a white fabric or preferably elastic strap at the shoulders.
Back Plate
*Back plate contains a "O II" design.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have a few stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Back plate may have one of the top corners/shoulder strap areas missing. If you are opting to damage/remove this area of the back plate, then you should strap the remaining area with Worn/old looking mummy style bandages to help hold the chest and back together.
*Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate.
Under Suit
*Black non-textured material, either one-piece or two-piece construction with no visible zippers or logos/designs. |
*Under Suit shall be distressed/worn.
*The under suit may have some rips/missing areas in the material. If any skin is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Some area of the Under Suit should have Worn/old looking mummy style bandages.
Abdomen Plate
*The ab plate has a button area that matches the color pattern shown (3 blue + 6 gray); buttons are approximately 7/16" in diameter.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should have stains that emulate dried blood, but shall not use liquid / permanently wet fake blood.
*Should be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Any gap between the ab and kidney plate shall be no more than 1/2" wide. Any shims used to achieve this effect should be of a similar material and color as the ab and kidney plate. Shims shall fit flush and seams are allowed.
*Shall have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*The ab plate may have large missing/broken off area/areas. If any large area is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Ideally there should be no gap between the ab and kidney plates, just a single visible seam line.
*Rivets on the left side of the ab plate: a total of three rivets equally spaced out along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. They may be painted white, or not.
*A single male snap on the top right corner of the ab plate shall be present.
*A single split rivet or brad shall be present on the crotch tab of the ab plate. It does not need to be functional.
Kidney Plate
*It is allowable to have a single kidney/butt plate for 501st requirements. If a separate kidney plate is used, it should line up with the ab plate, with the top of the kidney plate being flush to or under the back plate.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*A separate kidney plate shall be present, split from the butt plate.
*Shall be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*3 rivets shall be present on the left side of the kidney plate, equally spaced out along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. They may be painted white, or not.
Butt Plate
*It is allowable to have a single butt/kidney plate for 501st requirements. If a separate butt plate is used, it should be below the bottom of the belt and line up with the kidney plate, with a minimal gap between it and the kidney plate.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*A separate butt plate is required, split from the kidney plate.
*Shall be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Two male snaps shall be present on the crotch tab of the butt plate. They do not need to be functional.
Belt
*Belt face is made of plastic (TK ammo belt).
*Belt proper is made of canvas, canvas covered material, leather, or vinyl, 3” to 3.5” wide. The color is be white to off-white.
*The drop boxes dangle from the sides of the front plastic belt (ammo belt) via white straps and are aligned under the plastic tabs of the ammo belt.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Belt shall be canvas or canvas covered, and shall have a distressed old look. leather and vinyl are not acceptable.
*There shall be three square buttons, one centered in the middle and one on each end of the plastic ammo belt..
*One drop box may be omitted from the costume (either left or right, but not both). If opting to remove one of the drop boxes, the white strap that the drop box normally hangs from shall be ripped/torn.
*Drop boxes are closed in the back.
*The corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle.
Thermal Detonator
*Attaches to the back of the belt. This is a gray cylinder between 2” and 2.5" in diameter with white end caps on each end, and a white control panel pad, with controls closest to the right end cap.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*The thermal detonator needs to be attached via metal clips approximately 1 inch wide, and shall be all gray without silver stickers or silver paint.
Thighs
*Thigh armor shall be closed in the back.
*The small ammo belt is installed on the bottom of the right thigh.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*The thigh ammo belt shall be connected by brads/split rivets only – but not by standard rivets.
*The bottom corners of the thigh ammo belt shall be rounded off.
Lower Legs
*Greaves close in the back. The trapezoid knee plate (sniper knee plate) is affixed to the left greave and may have two visible brads or rivets securing it to the greave.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*There should be no visible rivets or brads used to secure the sniper plate to the left greave.
Boots
*White leather or leather-like, above ankle height, with a flat sole with a short heel, and small U-shaped elastic sections on both sides of the ankle with no buckles or laces. Jodhpur/Chelsea-type boots or an equivalent style is acceptable. Elvis or Mariachi boots are not allowed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*There shall be no seam on the front of the boot (e.g. CABoots are not allowed).
Accessories
Holster
*Holster may be omitted from this costume.
*Made of black leather or leather-like material.
*Holster shall be distressed/worn.
*Holster shall be worn on the left and be attached to the belt from behind instead of front, with no loops covering the outside of the belt.
*The holster will be affixed with two fasteners at the bottom of the belt instead of none or four. These may be rivets, snaps, or Chicago screws.
Mummy style bandages
*It is optional to have some Worn/old looking (mummy style) bandages. The mummy style bandages may be wrapped loosely around some areas of the costume, but not over 30%.
Zombie prosthetic
*May be a latex or latex like Halloween mask, hands or body parts.
*Shall be profressional movie-like makeup.
BlasTech E-11
*Based on a real or replica Sterling sub-machine gun, scratch-built, or a modified commercial toy Stormtrooper blaster.
*Folding stock (does not need to function).
*No ammo counter shall be present.
*D-ring mounted on the rear.
*Correct style scope.
*No power cylinders on the magazine housing.
*Scratch-built, resin cast, Hyperfirm rubber cast blasters shall have a total of 7 U shaped channels on blaster (all holes on barrel shall be covered).
*If using the popular commercially available Stormtrooper blasters, you shall grind off the T-tracks and replace them with U shaped channels and cover the open rows of holes (total of 7 U shaped channels in all).
*Correct greeblies on the left rear area shall be present (door catch and two "hammers").
*Hasbro blasters are not allowed, even conversions.
*Forward D-ring shall be mounted underneath the front sight on the left side of the barrel.
*Use of the correct front sight (which differs from ANH and ESB).
*The scope rail is unique to ROTJ E11 and is not like the normal open ANH/ESB scope rails, but is a solid, one piece, with a unique sight design on the front. The scope connects to the notched out area of the solid rail. The scope shall be the correct design (as the ones seen in ROTJ), and shall attach to the scope rail via one scope mount.
*The muzzle will be unlike the normal ANH style. It shall be flat with two counter sunk Allen bolts (one located at the four o’clock position and one located at the ten ‘o’clock position).
*The door catch shall be correct, not a "close enough" attempt as seen on the Cinemastery blaster.
BlasTech DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle
*Based on a real or replica MG-34 machine gun.
*A DLT-19 is an MG-34 with T-tracks on the barrel, ejection port cover added, and a small disk on left side.
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 “RogueTrooper“
Tactical Officer
Tips for Trooping Halloween
Some would say if you're a member of the 501st that everyday is Halloween, and it kind of is. However, Halloween or "Party Trooping" in general is a bit different than your everyday Troops. They are of course a great time, but they definitely present different challenges than going out with your Garrison.
So if you are planning on sporting your TK this Halloween, here are some helpful tips and tricks to help get you by:
Plan Ahead
When Trooping, there's generally a discussion going on over your local garrison forum, you get told what time to show up, where to go, what you're role will be for the day, and you do your bit. When going out on your own, that part is up to you; so when planning, make sure you have the following:
Check Local Weapons Laws - A good idea in general for anyone planning on sporting costume with a "weapon" at Halloween. More important for Public Events or Trick-or-Treating with the kids. You don't want your Halloween spent being brought down by local SWAT.
A way there - Most of us can't sit in armor, let alone drive, so make sure you have a plan on getting to and from the party, if you can't get a ride, see if you can at least get a place to change at your final destination. If that's impossible, drive in your undersuit and bring a change of clothes.
Get a buddy - Spotters are a must at any troop and at Halloween they are no exception. Actually, they may be more important as you run a greater risk of dealing with people that are intoxicated. Enlist a friend, spouse or family member to keep an eye on the things you can't see through your bucket.
Plan your time - Give yourself a time limit for the armor, especially if you have to unsuit to use the facilities. Know where the bathrooms and exits are, and if you're going to have to deal with stairs.
At The Event
Most of the time when in armor we are the centre of attention, however, at Halloween everyone else has the same idea. Also, they will more than likely be in a suit that's not as Field Tested as yours, so mind your company.
Secure Armor Storage - If the event can provide a locked room to keep your kit bag, great! If not, figure out a "Plan B" (your car or a friends) and make sure your Spotter has everything you need.
Have a "Home Base" - You definitely need a place where you can get some water and take a breather. Remember, at Halloween you can take your bucket off
Be Nice - Remember, you're going to more than likely run into some intoxicated individuals and even though it's a "Non-501st" event, by donning that armor you are representing the 501st. Saying that, it's never acceptable for you to get belittled or disrespected.
I will quote one of my favourite movies Roadhouse: "Be nice, until it's time to not be nice." Be respectful of others as you would on a Troop, but don't be afraid to put a limit on it if someone is going too far. A good way to diffuse a situation that could escalate is by quoting a TK line from the movies like "Move Along!"
Avoid Alcohol - What? It's a party right?!? "Drinking and Trooping" go together about as well as putting a Rancor on a Cargo Barge - there's going to be a lot of banging around and you will probably end up crashing. Treat Trooping the same way you would driving a vehicle and know your limit. A drunk Stormtrooper is never any fun (especially if kids are present) and you don't want to damage your kit. Do yourself a favor and save the drinks until you're unsuited and can enjoy them.
Post Party
When it's time to call it a night, make sure you have a way home for you and your kit. If cabbing, make sure the Taxi can fit your kit bag and I would avoid the Bus entirely.
Remember, this is all about fun, so get out there an enjoy yourself! Have a great time this Halloween and remember to post pics of your event!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
As a special Halloween treat, and a reward for all your loyal service to The Empire, the FISD is proud to offer you these TK pumpkin templates for download.
Simply print the PDF files, copy the stencil to your pumpkins and you'll have a Halloween decoration sure to put a chill up the spine of any Jedi who come knocking at your door...
Just remember - if you make these or any other TK themed Halloween goodies be sure to post pics on the forums for all of us to see!
Click here to download the PDF's:
Crushing Dantooine, Tatooine and Halloween all at once
with unquestioned loyalty,
Lucas Bowers
ZeroRoom
Detachment Webmaster
Article By: tkrestonva
Love them or hate them, the release of the Blu-Ray edition of Star Wars made for a historic month for Star Wars fans in general and the 501st in particular. Not only do we get to see the films in all of their extreme hi-def glory, we got a TON of behind the scenes and other bonus footage to go with it! Regardless of how you feel about the movies and the “updates” made to them, the bonus features alone make it a must-have for any serious fan. Most notably, the collector’s edition included a hour long insider’s look at the 501st’s participation in the 2007 Rose Bowl Parade! Not that we aren’t visible enough as it is, but now fans from all over get an inside view of the 501st and how we support Star Wars fandom – can you say “new recruits for the Empire”?
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Brian Robinson
TK 2918 "tkrestonva"
Provost Marshall
What a week!!!!
The UKG were approached by Fox earlier in the year to help them promote the Blu Ray release of Star Wars. Of course we jumped at the chance and discussions ensued about proposed events that we could help them with.
We started earlier in the year with a huge Empire magazine event at London’s O2 arena where, along with Anthony Daniels, we did our best to draw attention to the upcoming release. We even featured quite heavily in the magazine! A definite success in my book and a great start to our relationship with Fox and their PR company.
This event gave the PR company and indeed Fox more of an insight into what we could do and off they went to make further their plans.
I’ll be honest, when they first approached us with some of the ideas I was a little sceptical and as CO I have to think of the safety of our members as well as our responsibility to LFL. Fox were great; they were happy to listen to our concerns and work with us to make the Blu Ray release into a very special week.
I arrived back from DragonCon on the Friday morning. The journey home was a complete nightmare with damaged baggage and broken down vehicle (twice!!) amongst other things, all this when you are dog tired. I knew we had a busy week ahead but I still don’t think anyone could have realised just how busy!!
I received a call from Steve Smith, one of our EC’s who had volunteered me for a 6.30am start the following morning at a TV studio in west London to again accompany Mr Daniels and start the promo week with a bang.
The show was an odd choice, a soccer magazine style show but which also covered hip cool stuff. Now you see where we fitted in!
Anthony was completely out of his depth. He confessed to us he knew nothing about soccer and cared even less! This did not, however, stop him from stealing the show. He was fantastic and really upstaged the regulars on the show and step one was complete.
Then step two:
Early Monday morning, the day of the release, several troopers and Darth Vader were all to parade the famous Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace. I still can’t believe they got the permission for it!!
We all changed in a local hotel and then, through London rush hour, we marched the half mile to where the photo shoot was to take place. As you can imagine we caused quite a stir, with commuters chasing after us for pictures and buses stopping so that people could watch the Empire invade London. Marching along the streets of London with Lord Vader leading us was an awesome experience.
We arrived at the spot for the photo shoot and although permission had been granted, we still managed to draw the attention of the armed police; that is, they all wanted pictures!! Of course we obliged as it is always fun to arrest a Policeman!!!
The shoot went off without a hitch and seeing Vader and Stormtroopers with Buckingham Palace in the background was just amazing.
We were then, after getting changed and a short break, moved to a disused platform for Charring Cross tube station were a train awaited us for another photo shoot. We actually held up the new Angelina Jolie movie whilst we had various candid shots of us on an underground train with commuters (local students they had rounded up to help) looking on. This was great fun as it is not every day you see a TK on a train let alone ten of them!!
The rest of the day was taken up with various HMV stores and the usual promo stuff but when it is in the middle of London it is never really usual. We caused Oxford Street to almost come to a standstill at one point as onlookers and passers by stoped to have their pictures taken with us!! We attended a couple of stores and finished around 8pm. I, as everyone else, was shattered but in a very good way!!
The next day I accompanied two of our TK’s and a different Lord Vader to an afternoon magazine show where Mr Daniels was a special guest. They were so impressed with us that instead of the host coming to the fore at the top of the show, they asked Lord Vader himself. It looked great and was an impressive way to start a show. They then had our two TK’s flank the stage and they stood like statues throughout. They were amazing and looked stunning. They really did look like Stormtroopers and marched off exactly as rehearsed. Awesome work from the two of them.
The next event was on the Thursday morning, the day of the big stunt!!
Billy Haggis and myself were appearing on a Breakfast TV show. Anthony would also be on but he had rather smartly pre-recorded his segment and managed to stay home. Who can blame him with a 5am start!
As Billy and I started to get changed, a member of the production team asked us what we could do as they had no plans. We gave them some ideas and were ushered off for a run-through.
Unfortunately the presenters did not want to play ball and were more interested in trying to ridicule us. They clearly didn’t know it was Billy and me!!
As I am sure you know, when you are in armour you can take control of a situation and even without voice (new guidelines from LFL prevent us from speaking or being interviewed with helmets on) we still managed to come out on top ; )
Then the BT Tower.
To say the stunt was ambitious is an understatement. One of London’s most famous landmarks in London was to be turned into a giant Lightsaber.
We showed up early so we could get a good look around and we had all hoped to get to the top where the event was going to culminate so as to see, what I believe, is the best view of London. Stunning.
After we were changed we went straight to work as ‘security’ ushering in the celebrities and keeping out the riff raff. The camera flashes seemed to never stop with us being photographed more than most of the stars that had showed up. The appeal of Star Wars is a long way from dead. We featured on the BBC news that evening and in many periodicals after the event.
Then the big moment: Turning the building into a Lightsaber.
We were all taken to the main area upstairs and stood by whist the countdown began ..10..9..8... you could have heard a pin drop 3..2..1.. Anthony pushed the huge button and we saw a live feed to what was going on outside the building. You can see the pic’s but I assure you they just don’t do it justice!!
After mingling with the crowd and having more pictures taken and various arrests etc. we were finally allowed to go back down and finish after another exhausting but fun night.
Just as we were starting to get changed, a representative from Fox came running in and wanted to discuss an idea. They had found a vantage point outside with the Tower in the background, where they would be able to shoot a picture where it would look as though Vader were holding the tower as a saber.
But this would mean a half mile or so walk through central London past two or three pubs and it was dark.
I had to think very hard about this as safety was a huge concern but at the same time this was not an opportunity the UKG should not miss. After agreeing to get the Dark Lord a taxi (there was no way he could have walked) we got as many helpers together as we could and off we marched, no stopping!! We arrived at the location and a guy who was a little alcoholically worse for wear really couldn’t quite believe his eyes!!
We spent about twenty minutes making the most of this bizarre photo opportunity and then marched back in the same fashion.
These pics went all around the world and I am so pleased we did it!!
It was a very tiring week but an amazing experience!
Gary
UKG CO
Article By: RogueTrooper
This is a segment of the Newsletter, where we focus on one of our fellow FISD members. We know that all of us here are Stormtrooper enthusiast to some degree, but I thought it would be nice to find out about that person in and beyond their white armor. This has actually been done a couple of times before, but when we were looking for new concepts for the Newsletter, I kind of pulled this out, dusted it off, and said why not bring this back. Everyone on staff that saw it thought it was a great idea. So, hopefully, we will keep it as a staple in the Newsletter. So you may find yourself being interviewed in the future....
This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Anderson TK7602, who is known as the StormtrooperGuy. Brian has been a member of the 501st Legion since December, 2003. His Garrison is the New England Garrison and he is one of two LMO’s (Legion Membership Officer).
Brian has two TK designations, one of which is the new Legion approved costume, the Death Trooper. Brian did some outstanding, ground breaking work on this costume that truly captured what it is to be a Death Trooper and got me stoked about getting “Zombiefied” with some armor. Not only does he have the 2 TK designations in his repertoire of costumes, but also has 1 DZ, 2 BH, 1 CC, 3 TC, 1 CP and 1 TS. WOW! after writing that last sentence, I felt like I was writing some type of computer code instead of all the designations of Brian costumes. LOL!!
The photo collage above is of Brian and his costumes (collage designed by RogueTrooper)
Below is a photo of Brian beside a few Indiana Jones artifacts at Skywalker Ranch.
I asked Brian to tell us a little bit about his life outside of the 501st and what makes Brian, Brian.
Brian: I'm an open book really... nothing interesting enough to hide at least!
I've been an IT professional for 13 years now, but my original calling was the arts. I enrolled in art school after high school, but switched gears to technology when I started to think that "Internet" thing was going to be big. I figured having a job that could pay the bills would be good, and it would give me the resources I needed to fuel the artistic endeavors. I now subscribe to the theory that we should all do something we like for work, and save what we love for hobbies. That way we don't get burned out on it.
I am married, and we are expecting our first little clone in January. It's a girl. We were calling her "the dianoga" before we knew, so we're thinking that will be her first halloween costume.
One thing that surprises many people we meet is that my wife and I are both straightedge. No smoking, drinking or drugs. I've been in that camp my entire life, so at 36 years old I've never tasted beer or wine!
Further, to get to know a little bit more about our fellow trooper Brian, I sat down had a short Q & A session with him.
When did you first become a Star Wars fan? What was the first Episode that you saw? Which one was your favorite episode and why? Which one was you least favorite episode and why?
Brian: I was brainwashed as an infant. I don't remember it, but my mother brought me with her to see "Star Wars" at the drive in back in '77. The first one I remember seeing was ESB. The memory really stuck because the film reel broke during the Dagobah training scene so we had to sit in the theater for what felt like forever while they fixed it.
ESB remains my favorite. I think it's part because it's the first movie of any sort that I really remember, and part because it's so dark. The heroes just take a beating in that one, which is rare in a movie.
Continuing the fan cliche, Phantom Menace is my least favorite. Not because of Jar Jar or any of the classic reasons to hate it, but because it set up 2 very cool, interesting characters (Qui-Gon and Darth Maul) then killed them both! What a waste!
Were you into doing the costuming and props before you joined up with the 501st?
Brian: Yep. I've done renn faire / medieval costuming for years. I started making my own maile and boiled leather armor when I was still in high school.
How did you find out about and when did you get involved with the 501st Legion?
Brian: My first exposure to the 501st was an event at a local night club I was a regular at. They did a Star Wars themed night and the 501st was present. When I first saw an adult dressed like Boba Fett I knew I wanted in!
How many costumes do you have, counting 501stand non-501st? What made you pick certain ones? For instance, you have an AOTC male Tusken Raider. What made you pick that over the ANH version?
Brian: Wow... Let's see. 11 approved 501st costumes, 2 Rebel Legion ones, then about half a dozen or so non-Star Wars... so pushing 20 I guess. It might be 20... I could be forgetting something.
I started with the tusken raider thinking it would be a cheap and easy way into the Legion. I caught the accuracy bug right away... I went from scratch building the costume to getting a Godzilla mask kit, vintage bandoliers and a real gaffi stick! I started ANH style, but felt like the prequels weren't really represented well, so I converted him to AOTC style.
The Stormtrooper was next, because what kid from the late 70s / early 80s didn't want to be a stormy?
Boba Fett was the dream costume though, and he took years and thousands of dollars to get "right".
There have been a bunch of Legion costumes that have come and gone. I've had an Imperial Gunner, Royal Guard and Scout Trooper but sold them off at various points to fund other projects.
In recent times I've been hooked on the Clone Wars. I started with Rex, sculpting/casting/forming the entire suit myself. Once you have all the molds to make armor it's really easy to churn out suits for whatever you need. We did an event with the Boston Celtics so I made a 41st grunt (green stripes). For a blood drive I did an ARC trooper with red. It's a good thing I have an attic to store it all in!
Between all of the costumes that you have, which is your favorite? If your Stormtrooper is not your favorite, then how would you rank it?
Brian: It's really hard to rank them. Usually my newest is my favorite.
I think Boba Fett really wins the day long term though. No matter what I just keep adding on to that suit to get it just that much better! I just recently got some new Boba parts in the mail that need to be assembled.
To me the stormtrooper is the backbone of the Legion. It would be like trying to rank how important water is... I think everyone in the Legion should have one!
In the last year or so you built a Stormtrooper costume, was this your first? What made you decide to do one?
Brian: I built my first stormtrooper in 2004 (FX armor), just a few months after joining the Legion. My second event with the 501st was Mark Hamill's honorary membership induction as a TK. A few weeks after getting the FX suit I upgraded the helmet to a GF, which at the time was a pretty precious thing. I think that bucket cost me almost twice what the armor did!
I traded that in later for a set of AP armor, which I trooped in as a TK for a while then converted to a TD. I ended up selling the TD to help raise funds for my clone armor sculpt.
I recently got my 3rd set of white armor, an ATA kit this time. We got to a point in my garrison where we almost never had stormtroopers at events anymore, and that just felt wrong. So I decided it was time to suit up again! The TK world had changed a lot since my last time around. When I built my AP kit there still wasn't an FISD to be a part of!
You did an ANH Stunt, what made you choose that version over the other Original Trilogy
TKs?
Brian: My E-11
During one of the periods that I didn't have a TK, I built up a really nice replica E-11.
It's a deactivated Sterling with as many original parts as have been identified and good quality replicas of the things that have not. Since it is in an ANH configuration, that part of my decision was made for me!
Between Hero and Stunt it was the lenses. I don't like the bubble lenses, so flat stunt was the way to go.
What was the hardest costume that you have built? Which costume did you have the most fun building?
Brian: The answer to both would be Captain Rex. I sculpted and vac formed all the armor myself, and had never done anything like that before. It took a year of working around 40 hours a week on it. I would come home from work, have dinner, then be in the garage until 10pm - 11pm. On weekends I'd spend all day and night there when I could.
It was incredibly rewarding to see it come together, but it was exhausting!
What made you decide on doing the Death Trooper costume? With your Death Trooper costume being approved and since you are the first official one for the Legion, how do you feel?
Brian:That's an interesting one, as the Death Trooper has a very polarizing effect on people.
When the Death Troopers book came out my feelings were mixed. I wasn't entirely sure that I liked the idea of putting zombies in my Star Wars. I love horror, and take part in local zombie walks whenever possible, but I was skeptical.
I read the book and thought it was pretty cool though... I felt like the government experiment gone wrong angle worked within what we know of the Empire. They wiped out an entire planet to make a point, so the idea of them engineering bio-weapons didn't seem like much of a stretch.
In June of 2010 a couple of Death Troopers were submitted for approval. LMO Spanos decided that the costumes were within the realm of acceptable for the Legion, but asked that they be implemented differently.
As time went on, I kept thinking about them. Inspired by the work of the troopers before me and the direction that LMO Spanos had set, I felt like it would be an interesting challenge to put one together.
When it came time for submission, the opinions were just as split as the first time around. In the end, the decision was made to go ahead based on the fact that they had just as much a place in the Star Wars universe as any other Expanded Universe costume.
It's definitely not appropriate for most events. But, when those rare events come up, it is a huge hit! I've worn it to a zombie walk already and will be wearing it at a horror convention near Halloween. I'm sure the reaction there will be great!
I wouldn't recommend anyone joining the Legion with just a Death Trooper, but it's definitely a fun alternate costume!
With the Expanded Universe TK's becoming more popular, do you see yourself doing any of the other ones, like the Stormtrooper Commander (TKC), Incinerator (INC), Sky Trooper (SKY), Heavy Weapons Trooper (HWT)?
Brian:It could definitely happen. I really like the look of the Skytrooper, so I think that would be the next most likely one for me to build.
You can never have enough armor, right?
You have been the 501st since 2003 and you are one of two LMO’s. What made you decide to go for the LMO position and have you ever held any other position in the Legion, your Garrison, or a Detachment?
Brian: Everyone is in the Legion for a different reason. Some love the charity work, some the sense of camaraderie. For me, the main driver is the costuming. I love building things! I felt like the LMO position was the best way to use that energy in a way to help the club.
I've had a bunch of roles over the years: I became garrison webmaster shortly after joining. I've been GML and XO in the NEG in addition to that, and have been on the Legion web team since its inception. I was one of the initial crew that set up the Legion forum way back in the dark ages.
I currently help out on the staff of FISD and the Bounty Hunters Guild. Last year I was on the staff of Clonetroopers.net.
Outside of the 501st I'm a costume judge in the Rebel Legion, was the founding XO of the Clones of the Republic detachment there, and serve on the admin team at The Dented Helmet.
Wow... I think I need a hobby to get away from my hobby!
There may be some readers out there who do not know what the LMO does for the Legion. Could you give a brief synopsis of what the position entails?
Brian: The main things we do are:
* Review new / uncommon / undocumented costume to make sure they fit with the Legion and are well executed.
* Act as an escalation point for GMLs when they need assistance with reviews.
* Represent the membership of the Legion to the Legion council.
* Issue new Legion IDs to members joining the club.
* Work with the detachments to establish the costuming standards for the club.
Essentially we sort out all things related to costumes for the club.
What do you find most interesting about being an LMO?
Brian: Getting to see all the new and creative things people do! I think the one that struck me the most in recent times was Snoova, a wookiee bounty hunter from Shadows of the Empire. We're not talking Chewie with some new accessories here either, this is a full on Wookiee of its own with different fur colors and patterns.
An amazing piece of work to be sure.
Do you have aspirations for any other positions with the Legion?
Brian: No, this is it for me. I'm not at all interested in the political side of the Legion, so I don't want to go down any other roads. My term as garrison XO was enough of that for me! If the Legion will have me I'd love to stick around as an LMO for another year or two. We'll see how things go in the next election cycle!
Getting back to your Stormtrooper costume, I noticed that you have not applied for you EI yet. Is there a reason why you have delayed or not taken that step? If you are wanting to go to the next level, then are you considering going for your Centurion? If not, why?
Brian: *hangs head*
Lack of photos.
Seriously. The only thing holding me back from EI right now is not actually taking good pictures of the suit!
What is one of you most memorable troops? Also, what was the worst troop that you ever had, that made you wish you had never unpacked your costume?
Brian: The most memorable was when Revenge of the Sith came out. Lucasfilm put out a call to the Legion for TKs for a special event in Las Vegas, all expenses paid! I was one of the ones selected, and got to go out be part of an amazing event. This was my first LFL official gig, so I was completely star struck by it all. We ended up with a fair bit of time to hang out on the Strip too, which was awesome. The best part though was the flight back... due to an airline mixup they ended up having to upgrade me to first class! Just picture a tired trooper who hasn't slept in 2 days flopping down in a cushy first class seat. People didn't know what to make of me
Worst troop... I've had a few events where we show up and the organizer has no idea what to do with us. We end up just standing there in costume getting in the way of things, with people looking at us like we are crazy people. Thankfully I haven't had any truly horrible events.
You sometimes see members who lose interest, drift off, become burned out and then possibly become inactive. What has kept you motivated and a very active member of the Legion over the past 8 years?
Brian: I've been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid. I don't see that going away any time soon. So as long as there's a group of people who revel in that, I'll be a part of it!
I truly enjoyed writing this article. I would like to thank Brian for taking time to be a part of it and to congratulate him and his wife on their soon to be little “dianoga”…I mean, their little girl. At the time we did the Q & A, Brian was sick and coughing his head off. Hey, Brian, I hope you are feeling better now and get your EI photos done..
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 “RogueTrooper“
Tactical Officer
Expert Infantry Badge, Who's Next?
Article By: RogueTrooper
Everyone Chant: EIB!! EIB!!! EIB!!!!
Hello fellow troopers. The Stormtrooper costume is the foundation of the Legion. The TK ID holds the largest number of costumes in the Legion at 2,351 to date.
Knowing this, all the TK's should show their pride and put their best foot forward....
With this in mind, I wanted to take a moment and talk a little bit about the Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) program. Since its very first inductee back in the Spring of 2007, the EIB program has grown to the number of 181 recipients (salute
and buckets off 
to each and everyone of you). Thus far in 2011 there have been 22 EIB's awarded and we still have a little over two months before the end of the year. I believe that we should be able to hit the 200 mark before the new year rings in. With this in mind, I ask everyone to look within their Squad and Garrison and see if there is not a member that is close to being EI. If so, help and encourage that member to go to the next level with their armor. There even maybe some that have slipped through the cracks and did not even know that they may already be EI ready and just need to apply.
If anyone does have any questions about the EI program, feel free to contact anyone of the Staff (listed below) , each one in this list has their EIB and are more than willing to answer any questions that you may have abut the program. The blast doors are always open to anyone who has questions or needs help.
Detachment Leader - Daetrin - Paul C. Hoeffer (TK 8020)
Executive Officer - SuperTrooper - Terrell Reber (TK 1787)
Provost Marshall - tkrestonva - Brian Robinson (TK 2918)
Personnel Officer - novatie - A.C. Meyers (TK 5597)
Intelligence Officer - Pandatrooper - Terry Chui (TK 2886)
Deployment Officer - dashrazor - Mason Carson (TK 4603)
Public Relations Officer - Shooter - Matt MacNeil (TK 4887)
Tactical Officer - RogueTrooper - Tom Gardner (TK 5940)
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 “RogueTrooper“
Tactical Officer
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Bonjour Troopers compatriotes!
Our FISD Trooper of the month is Steve Marle TK 3862 (stevechewbacca) of the French Garrison.
CONGRATULATIONS STEVE!
Steve is 25 years old and has been a member of the Legion since 2005. His first costume was Garindan aka Long-Snoot, the one who was following Luke and Ben around Mos Eisley.
Steve was inactive for a couple of years because of his studies. He entered the FISD as soon as he began his Incinerator build 2 years ago, and he says he really liked the camaraderie that he experienced with the members of Whitearmor.net.
Steve is the very first Incinerator Trooper to receive the Centurion status.
When the attache program was started, Steve jumped on board and wanted to be the French attache for the FISD. His main reason for wanting to do this, in his own words; “I like helping troopers in finding information”.
Steve saw a need to help his fellow French Troopers, by taking on the task of translating the CRL and the FISD, EI and Centurion levels. Steve has also been asked to head up and has been working diligently with Laurent/ Mini Trooper’s help on the French section of the FISD.
Merci beaucoup Steve pour ton travail pour aider le FISD à être plus compréhensible pour les Troopers qui ne parlent et lisent que le Français.
Félicitations Trooper du Mois, maintenir le bon travail!
For the last part of this article, for the people who don’t read French:
Thank you very much Steve, for your hard work in helping make the FISD more easily understood for the Troopers that only speak and read French.
Congratulations on Trooper Of The Month, keep up the great work!
Three items of note troops!
1. There are new FISD approved T-Shirts for sale now - please see the order thread here: http://forum.whitear...showtopic=17132
2. 12" Patches are being quoted - stay tuned for how to get your hands on these bad boys in the next week to 10 days.
3. All FISD patches - we're gearing up for another run once I get some stock in. November will be a great time to do patch shopping for the holidays
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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Hello Ryan,
Welcome to the FISD, I'm local to you about 30 minutes away.
Not to sound like a broken record, but unfortunately your request borders on impossible for the reasons my brothers listed above.
Avoid the temptation of Rubies, you will regret.
Also, remember, once you have the kit and start trooping, everyday is Halloween
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Patience, you must learn patience!
Depending on what you're doing with it, you're probably fine with 20-ish hours or so, as long as you're not straining the bond too much.
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Yep, even if there is only one of you, if you start getting in touch with people and be proactive you would be surprised at how well people react when you say: "Would you like a Stormtrooper to attend your event?"
Saying that, not sure where you are, but we have a couple of folks in Thunder Bay and they are pretty active in their community. They also come down for the major events as well.
Welcome!
Now that is a name I haven't heard that name in a long-time . . . a long-time
in New Member Introductions
Posted
Hi folks,
TK/TS-4887 (RET) here. I used be fairly active here back in the day and was on the Command Staff many moons ago (Looking at my last DM was about 9 years ago lol).
Not looking to come out of retirement, but I found an old E11 build with a real tanker scope on it, so I thought I better finish it up.
Happy to see how FISD has grown since my day and it's great to see the Newsletter (which I started) still going strong. Great job everyone.