gmrhodes13

Correct, same as ESB

Hello trooper, congratulations and welcome to the ranks

Basically you'll know were to sand just by the marks on your arms, if you do actually get any . It's not too hard to sand by hand, I use a Dremel which just saves some time. Always finish off sanding too with some finer grit sandpaper, gets rid of any sharp or rough areas.

Looks the right side up to me Welcome aboard trooper.

All looks good, you may find you'll need to remove a little more of the inner return edges once you've been trooping, can get armor bites there, we tend to move around a little differently when interacting with the public, but for now I'd leave it and move along, nice work

I used the lighter elastic at first and found it stretched quite considerably over a short time so replaced with heavy duty elastic, it is definitely a good way to go

Can be normal on pieces that don't lay completely flat, many surfaces have a curve to them, I have a couple of pieces which look the same, I do try however to tape down as much as possible to reduce the gap while assembling but even that doesn't always work. It would be very hard to see while wearing and in photos so personally I'd leave it.

I normally use a heat gun so was unsure if a water bath would work, but I have while being on site at a recruits home resorted to heating his lenses on a metal tray and in an oven, worked a treat

You could always apply a little heat to the lenses so they conform to the shape and not under stress

Nice work, almost there

You can also refer to Tony's build thread, lots of great detail and even thought not the same make should still be helpful

Boots look fine, just double check they don't have an extra seam on the inside, there are a lot of boots out there that have a stepped seam join, although fine for basic approval it won't allow you to go higher if you aim for EIB or Centurion, can be quite rewarding achieving those levels of build accuracy.

Hello and welcome aboard, good luck with this journey, looking forward to your build thread.

Coming along nicely. With elastic straps I normally use a soldering iron to make the hole but then add a drop of E6000 to the area before adding the snaps, doing both of these does help to stop the snaps pulling through, nice work on add the abs strip, they will work just the same

Coming along nicely (well not the glue ) For those hard to get at areas of glue you can just cut small sections of left over cover strip, they will get in nicely in grooves. Not sure if you where going to but a lot of us add inside cover strips, does give a little more strength, especially on pieces like the shins which are open and closed constantly, I use strips from off cuts from trimming. Always best to glue the front facing pieces first and get them nice and flat, you can tackle the backs once they are fully dry, you'll also find you can compress the shape quite a lot by using tape. With your narrow forearm a heated water bath or if you are dare a heat gun, will allow you to make it a little rounder, less of the oval shape. If ever using a heat gun I do advise people to try on other pieces of plastic first, ABS can be a little unforgiving with too much heat. Looking forward to the progress.

Very ambitious, nice work, you can refer to the CRL (costume reference library) for specific details, RO is here Also have a look through RO build section and build threads, they can be found here Good luck with the rest of the build

Hello and welcome aboard

Great work, I have snaps behind my rivets, helps to break down the armor for air transportation, the clamshell is just a little wide for my suitcase Keep up the great work.

Congratulations on receiving approval and welcome to the ranks trooper. Here is your link: https://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=29716&costumeID=122

Looking forward to seeing those BBB photos

Congratulations trooper

I would suggest having a look at the vetted sellers thread in the Getting Started section. There is a reason why we have vetted sellers, those who are on the list have a quality product and deliver what they advertise, if you wish to purchase something from elsewhere there is no guarantee of its quality.

If you decide not to go ESB later on you could always sell off that holster, there's always people out there looking for a good holster

Detachment Leader Executive Officer Provost Marshall Deployment Office Pre Approval Forum CRL Updates Detachment Affiliation Forum Downtime Around the Detachment 3D Section FISD Logo's Hall of Fame In the Media Costume Totals Just For Laughs Trooping Imperial Attaché Program EIB & Centurion: What do these terms mean? Advanced Tactics Awards EIB - The March To 1000 Merchandise & Branding Officer Competition Merchandise Public Relations Follow FISD I think now is as good a time as any to let everyone know that I will not be running for DL this year. I had intended this year to be a fun one full of cool merchandise that everyone enjoyed, excellent progress on the CRLs, and just enjoying the camaraderie of my fellow Legion stormtroopers. Instead I ended up spending the better part of the year embroiled in Legion politics defending the integrity of my staff and detachment from abusive and dysfunctional members of Legion command. While one should never shy away from standing up for what is right, it was so draining I nearly quit. Thankfully a visit to the Hong Kong Garrison served as a pleasant reminder of just how fantastic the Legion can be. Love out to you guys! I'll still be on permanent staff as detachment founder so it's not like I'm leaving, but in truth I need a break want to just enjoy being a normal Legion trooper again. I want to give a huge THANK YOU to the FISD staff who have worked tirelessly this year through all the challenges to keep things humming along and the place positive. They are truly a talented and dedicated group of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and it's been a privilege and a blessing to work with them. You guys are the best! 2019 promises to be a phenomenal year for FISD and I can't wait to see what the next crew has in store. With Unquestioned Loyalty Paul Hoeffer TK-8020 "Daetrin" Detachment Leader I would like to start off with a few words about Paul after his above announcement. On behalf of the command team, we would like to say what an absolute pleasure it has been to serve under your leadership these past couple of years. Not only are you a great leader and person but also have become a good friend. Your wisdom and guidance are an absolute blessing not only to many of us but to the Detachment and Legion at large and for this we thank you. So what’s next for FISD!, well we are approaching the crazy period in the legion calendar as the election cycle gets underway in early February. For those newer to the Legion, as a full member you are afforded the opportunity to vote on candidates for the leading command officer positions: Legion CO, your local garrison or squad CO and in your affiliated Detachments for Detachment leader role. If there are no new candidates and those leaders are happy to continue, then the vote in that position is obviously bypassed and that leader and command team continue on for the next term. In our case, Paul (Daetrin) has decided not to run again in February as our Detachment leader, and I feel if Paul did not believe our Detachment was in a good place, then his decision would have been far more difficult a call to make. Thank you once again Paul for your service. This creates an opportunity for new leadership in our great detachment, and this is one opportunity I would be honored to take. This is not to say I would be the only candidate, there may be others, in which your vote becomes very important, so please stand and be counted when it’s time to vote. Now that I have made this small announcement, I would like to offer some insight to why I would like to run for the position as your Detachment leader. I discussed the prospect of running for the DL position with our staff and other members and friends in the legion. I personally thought long and hard about the challenge and the reasons why I would consider myself a viable candidate for the position, but one aspect I think is very important of whoever does become our new leader should be their love for this establishment, its members and what it does to help others get involved in our great hobby. I care dearly for FISD, it’s members and how we operate, dearly enough that I am not just willing but happy and excited to step up and continue driving the great work that we do here on a daily basis. Would I make changes? We have a fantastic command team now, most of that team will definitely stay on and in their current roles, but yes some changes will need to take place. I am keen to look at opportunity for others with the potential of new roles and future projects and feel we are so spoiled for choice when it comes to the talent of our membership, that this drive to put those talents to use will continue in 2019. 2018 was a great year for our detachment and with a very motivated, highly functioning team we are prepared to build on that success driving FISD to further heights. I feel 2019 is going to be a great year for our part of the Star Wars universe, so prepare to jump to Hyper space. With Unquestioned Loyalty Andrew Franke TK-11469 "Sly11" Executive Officer Greetings troopers! During the month of December there was a run of challenge coins offered by Endor Finders in our Detachment Merch section. Many troopers are starting to receive their coins. As you may notice there are imperfections on the edge of the coins. While there are no imperfections reported on the faces of the coins, these imperfections on the edges have been reported to us. We have been in contact with John at Endor Finders and he is offering to replace any coins that you feel are unsatisfactory. This will be up to the individual customer to contact John if they choose to have replacements made. If you are happy with the coins then you do not need to do anything. You may contact John at endorfinders@gmail.com and he is asking you to title the email as "Replacement." In the body of the email please provide your order number, your address and any other pertinent details about your coins (eg. EIB coin number). John is asking that the customer pay for the return postage and the postage to send out the replacements as he volunteered to do this run. If you have any questions regarding the replacements then you may contact John at the above email address. With Unquestioned Loyalty Steve Sheades TK-10466 "starsaber25" Provost Marshall Happy New Year to all our fellow FISD members. As we blaze into 2019 the DO officers are ready to blow the EIB 1000 goal out of the water and we want you to be part of it. If were not approving apps we're researching and updating CRLs or assisting our fellow troopers with their builds, all in hopes of making everyone look their best. So you want to apply for EIB or Centurion? As we add more members to the 501st, we're also seeing an increase in applicants for our optional Level 2 (Expert Infantryman) and Level 3 (Centurion) approvals. It's great that so many of you are looking to add that extra level of accuracy to your costumes, and this guide is meant to help you through the process. Requirements As always, the first place to start is with the CRL for your costume, where L2 (in blue) and L3 (in red) requirements for each part of your armor will be clearly listed. (Note that not every part will have L2 or L3 requirements.) It will always be easiest to build your armor with L2 or L3 in mind from the beginning, so use the CRL as a guide. Submission When you're ready to submit, you'll want to make sure to follow the photo checklists for EIB or Centurion to ensure that you're including all the required photos. At the top of your application, please also include the following information: Name: Forum name: TKID: Garrison: Armor: Helmet: Blaster: (Centurion only): Link to EIB application It can also be helpful to the DOs to include height and weight information, just so we can get a better sense of how your armor fits. Many applicants also include information like neck seal maker, holster maker, etc. It will be very helpful for first-time applicants to take some time to look at recent approval threads so that you can get a better idea of what a successful submission looks like. Feedback Once you've submitted, your application will be assigned to one member of the DO team for review, but every application is discussed and signed off by the entire DO team. And although only the DO team can officially approve your submission, we have many veteran members who know the CRLs inside and out, and in the spirit of 'troopers helping troopers', will often respond to submission threads with suggestions and corrections. During the review process, your DO may request additional photos because they're missing from your application, or to see certain areas of your armor in more detail. If there is any aspect of your application that does not meet the requirements, we will do our best to detail the corrections you need to make; we are here to help you! Approval Upon approval, your DO will respond with any suggestions to improve the look of your armor, or for L2 submissions, any corrections that need to be made for L3. We will be clear about what is a hard requirement (e.g. rubber hand guards for L3) versus a suggestion (e.g. the tops of the ab and kidney being aligned.) Although the suggestions are just that, many troopers enjoy adding that extra bit of screen accuracy to their builds and will apply many of the suggestions. If any changes/corrections are made to your armor between your L2 and L3 submissions, it is strongly suggested to take a new set of full body photos for your L3 submission so that you can show off your armor at its best. Since we have a goal of 1000 EIB-approved troopers, you'll see us add approval numbers to EIB submission titles to help you and us keep track of our progress. For those troopers getting their second (or more!) EIB approvals, you will simply see "APPROVED". Questions? Feel free to reach out to your friendly DO team: Tony (@ukswrath), Joseph (@justjoseph63), Dan (@CableGuy), and Sha Sha (@shashachu). To Paul, thank you for your leadership, endless support, keeping me in line during my early times and your Unquestioned Loyalty to the FISD. And finally, major kudos to Sha Sha for writing 95% of this months DO piece, way to go Sha Sha. With unquestioned loyalty Tony “ukswarth” Deployment Officers With Unquestioned Loyalty Tony Jobe TK-10116 "ukswrath" Deployment Officer With Unquestioned Loyalty Joseph Pedigo TK-10863 "justjoseph63" Deployment Officer Deputy Deployment Officers With Unquestioned Loyalty Dan Branton TK-142911 "CableGuy" Deputy Deployment Officer With Unquestioned Loyalty Sha Sha Chu TK-19233 "sashachu" Deputy Deployment Officer The FISD is pleased to announce the addition of a new area in the Advanced Tactics forum dedicated to those ready to submit for basic 501st TK approval. This section will allow future Troopers the opportunity to submit photos of their completed build to be reviewed by the Staff, Imperial Attaches and others in preparation for forwarding it to their GML for approval. Any and all advice/suggestions given will be specific, constructive, helpful and respectful. Please note that this program will NOT take the place of your local GML, as Detachments are not chartered for costume approval and can not override a GMLs decision, but is instead a peer review program designed to help you look your best and offer guidance and positive feedback. You will have the opportunity to ask questions about your completed armor, weapons (if applicable), accessories, etc. and get accurate information from the experts here at the FISD.. the definitive home of TKs worldwide. For more information on this program, please visit the link here CRL's pending: ROTJ text updates TKC detonator photos to be added also wording changed for thigh ammo strips positioning ESB no bicep hooks L3 text addition ANH L3 additional requirements With elections starting at the end of February it's time to check your detachment affiliation. OK so you look at your Legion profile and it shows that your detachment affiliation to FISD is pending, or otherwise incorrect. Why does this happen, and what is detachment affiliation anyway, and what will FISD do about it? The answer is that detachment affiliation is only ever used once a year, and for one purpose. The only time the Legion ever uses it for anything is to determine who can run for DL and who can vote in detachment elections. That's it. Otherwise it is pretty much ignored and not used for anything. The process of validating detachment membership is cumbersome and time consuming because people use different email information between their Legion and detachment logins, and that there is no way to bulk update the rosters. For a small detachment it is not a big deal to do this manually, but for a detachment the size of FISD with hundreds and soon thousands of 501st members, it's impossible. Fortunately we have technical folk both on FISD and in the Legion web team. Once a year they take a feed from FISD's database and do a bulk update on the Legion database. This occurs right before the election cycle starts and is done once per year. Tips: 1) Ensure the email address you use on the Legion & FISD boards are the exact same. 2) Ensure that your FISD profile has the correct TKID. 3) If after the bulk update is complete and your profile is still not updated, and you are 100% sure your info is in sync between the two boards, then ask for to the Legion web team. They should get feedback on why this isn't working. 4) If all else fails, ping the FISD staff. Which basically means that we'll simply tell the 501st web team to bulk approve everyone To check detachment affiliation go to the 501st Mb database here then click Your Profile Data. UPDATE: read the following section below. It happens. You are on yet another boring gate guard detail and are trying to relax with a cup of brew. You throw on the latest pod races on the closed circuit screens (hey, it's not like anyone is sneaking on a secret battle station, right?) put your feet up on the desk, lean back and start catching up on the latest FISD news on your data pad. Ah...the good life. Then out of nowhere, you can't get to the forums - it's like they are down. What gives? Did Lord Vader find out you piping pod racing again? Yeesh, doesn't he have something better to do, like track down rebels or something? Then again, maybe he doesn't. A cold bead of sweat starts rolling down your forehead.... Fear not - it's all good! The 501st Legion's webmasters are just trying to integrate the FISD forums with the Legion membership database and from time to time the forum servers are bounced. So it's not you at all, my good trooper! Wait, why are they doing this you ask? Ah...well you know how it's nearing election time and we get all kinds of requests to validate detachment membership, right? And each year it's a monumental task to try to get everything sync'd between the FISD servers and the Legion database, right? Well, your support request prayers have been answered! When the LWM team has completed their work, the Legion's database can simply pull membership data from FISD and automatically update membership requests. How cool is that? Surely worth a few server bounces, right? Huge thanks to the LWMs, especially Cari, for making this possible. Cheers Cari! Rocket Trooper So you want to build a Stormtrooper but you want something a little different, why not start with a completely new build with no CRL like Matt has with his Rocket Trooper. There are a couple of versions of this trooper, one from Battlefront 2 and the other for the Rebels series which could possibly see two new version CRL's. As Vader would say "Most impressive". Well done Matt. For those how would like to see more you can find more photos here Greetings Troopers! I am Brien aka TK-92802 aka Harbinger and I am here to talk about logos. Logos are a direct visual representation of an organization, and FISD is no different. But why a shield? Why blasters? Our logo draws from a rich history of real-world military logos, as is fitting for the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment and its ranks of elite infantry. To quote our Founder: History lesson (as not everyone on the boards today was around in 2006!) The original logo was designed by myself and Ed DaSilva, FISD’s first XO, and rendered by Mark Fordham. Ed came up with the concept of a stormtrooper helmet in front with crossed blasters underneath. I specified the colors to be infantry blue, gold, black, and white. White and black because we are stormtroopers, infantry blue because stormtroopers are infantry and I started my Army experience in infantry, and gold to represent the officer element to the design (and also US Army colors are black/gold, so that dovetailed nicely). I also put in the short i for two reasons: first that it’s traditional in the Army for Corps to be designated by Roman numerals, and 1st comes out as i, just like XVIII is known as the 18th Corp, and our original name was to be “1st Imperial Stormtrooper Corp”. Also, the blue i harkens back to our clone trooper forebears, and you can see the blue i on the chests of the 501st clone troopers in Revenge of the Sith. Ed added in the background elements as an homage to the Tantive IV, and then I tossed in the banner idea as it reminded me of some of the Army unit designs as well (take a look at the ranger unit patch). Mark combined all these ideas in to the render that we have today, and it’s been used ever since. Our logo has done a fine job these past twelve years - but time marches on. There were several areas where the original logo was lacking. A refresh could solve many of these issues, such as: Consistency: The original logo, “stepping out” logo, as well as a logo refresh that seems to have only been used for decals and a couple of patch runs, had fonts and colors that were all over the place. When you want a recognizable ‘brand’, this is a no-no. Accuracy: Since our primary goal is encouraging costume accuracy our logo(s) should reflect that mission as well. Inclusion: FISD is now home to the new First Order troopers, which much like Clonetroopers during the prequel-era will be the face of Star Wars for some time. With that in mind I set out in updating the original “shield” design as well as the all-but-official “stepping out trooper” logos. However, in updating these logos for accuracy I realized that it would have to depict a specific TK (versus using hybrid/'idealized' Stormtroopers that are a blend of several films and not very accurate like some do). Seeing as the ANH TK is by far the most popular TK in the Legion, it was the obvious choice - same with the TFA FOTK. And while the classic ANH TK will always be the primary face of the Legion and FISD, at least in logo form, I hope no-one thinks we are devaluing all of the other great costumes that call FISD home, as every TK is equal here. The new logos are also (finally!) color matched with professional tools to (hopefully!) ensure all future merch runs will have consistent colors regardless of the medium or where they were made. With a new year comes change, for us it is new logos and soon, elections here in the Legion. I hope everyone is as excited for these updated logos as I was in helping to create them, and I hope they last us another 10+ years. With Unquestioned Loyalty Brien Edick TK-92892 "Harbinger" Merchandise & Branding Officer Don't forget to check out the new 3D section, and please contribute where you can, also see the link at the bottom for the new Contributor award details Contributor Awards Main forum title: 3D Parts and Technical Sub topics: 3D Printer owners Your place to discuss what printer/s you own, recommendations, tech talk and the like, It’s a place to learn something new 3D CAD Designers Home of talented 3D cad designers, show off your 3D renders, of FISD related costume parts and accessories. Offer help and advice on programs, or offer to commission a piece for a fellow member 3D File Depository A home for 3D file sharing, Troopers helping Troopers is what this section is all about; yes a single location to keep any 3D files offered up by our extremely generous membership. This will be a 501st member’s only section and rules will apply to any usage of the content. I will be looking for content to get these new sections started so If you are interested in helping drive these new forums, then please send me a PM and let’s get the threads and the filament flowing. 3D printer heads will understand that last comment Here is a link to the New FISD 3D Contributor program. With Unquestioned Loyalty Andrew Franke TK-11469 "Sly11" Executive Officer Happy New Year Troopers!!!Last month’s submissions to the Field Exercises was tremendous!It was great to see more new buckets sharing their holiday expeditions, making smiles, and warming the hearts in the season of giving.Even for me, the big ol’ jolly Santa Claus was starting to question his apparel with us having less screaming younglings and more hugs.This month we honour TK - 82214 Zac with his mic drop photo for St. Nick - never underestimate the power of the dark side big man. With Unquestioned Loyalty Aaron Gibson TK-99725 "Pyrates" Imperial Propaganda Why we can’t stop loving stormtroopers Pretty nice interview with FISD former DL, former LMO and current LMW, Eric Brager TK9674 aka "Darth Aloha" Stormtrooper fandom and the 501st Stormtroopers are a ubiquitous presence at sci-fi conventions, formalized through a semi-official fan club called the 501st legion. It hosts meetups and charity events where fans dress up in meticulously accurate replica uniforms. If you’ve ever seen stormtroopers marching in a parade, visiting kids at a hospital, or walking the red carpet at a Star Wars premiere, you probably saw a local garrison of the 501st in action. Eric Brager joined the 501st in 2011 and is now the executive officer of the New England Garrison. He owns several replica costumes including Darth Vader, and he understands the organization as well as anyone. “Most of us, including myself, I don’t really consider myself a cosplayer,” he says. “I don’t even like Halloween or any other kind of costume. But we have this idea where we wanna be this kind of life-size action figure.” It fits, then, that Brager’s favorite part of being a 501st member is attending charity events like the Make-a-Wish Foundation or marching in Pride parades. The 501st Legion boasts over 13,000 members worldwide, but its membership numbers are even more impressive when you know about the entry requirements. You can’t just half-an impolite person your costume; it has to fulfil enough regulations to satisfy Captain Phasma. Local chapters host armor-building parties and members have access to a terrifyingly detailed reference library for every possible permutation of costume. Once you’re finished, local and regional officers compare your armor to reference photos and either approve them or ask you to make corrections. (As you might expect, there are often disputes about accuracy.) Brager says that while there used to be “a lot of shame” about buying costumes off the shelf rather than crafting them yourself, there’s less stigma nowadays. It’s still an expensive hobby, though. If you want a movie-accurate replica from the official retailer Anovos, it’ll set you back almost $2,000. Brager estimated that of the 150 people in his local chapter, about a third bought their costumes online. That’s because when it comes to the costumes, the 501st appeals to a very specific kind of person: detail-oriented perfectionists. “We care about accuracy and we care about bringing what you saw on-screen to life. There’s really no room for expression,” Brager explains. “The Mandalorian Mercs [another popular Star Wars cosplay club] have a lot of freedom and they do crazy stuff with their costumes. We do not encourage that at all. Accuracy, for good or for bad, is really what we’re about.” This kind of precision is the polar opposite of transformative fan culture, where people use fanfic and art to remix the source material. Yet in its own way, the 501st does make one significant change to the canon. Its members enjoy detailed accuracy in the same way that some people build model trains or historical dioramas, but they don’t condone the ethos of the Empire. They relate to its appeal on an aesthetic level, stripped of its political connotations and rebooted under the motto “Bad Guys Doing Good.” As any 6-year-old will tell you, stormtroopers look cool as hell. They’re Brager’s most influential memory from seeing the first movie as a child, and he admits that “there’s something really attractive about this evil force that travels around in this very clean, orderly way.” Within the Star Wars universe, stormtroopers are walking propaganda for the Empire, presenting an image of organized strength and purity. Of course, this backfires because stormtroopers are famously incompetent, which in turn takes the sting out of their fascist symbolism. They illustrate the false promise that authoritarian regimes will make the trains run on time. In reality, what you’re getting are spiffily dressed mall cops with delusions of grandeur. “They never hit anything, they hit their head on things… it’s absolute slapstick comedy,” Brager says. “While I certainly didn’t recognize it as a kid, it allowed me to be a lot sillier in a stormtrooper costume, knowing they are kind of the butt of the Star Wars movies’ jokes.” You can read the piece in full here Another great article on Eric can be found in the Newburyport Magazine here Currently (as of 30 Dec 2018) there are 26,299 costumes in the legion, out of these under FISD there are 5,423 which is 20.62% of all approved 501st costumes. Costume ID breakdown in percentages: Breakdown of TK versions: Want Your Troop to be Included? Just a reminder if you would like your troop added please post your troop report in the Field Training Exercises section here Those with troop logs please post a separate troop report as it is easier to link too. December 2018 - January 2019 Santa Goes To Space More here By: Ray, Dielotski Strong Museum  More here By: Ryan, Manbehindthemask, TK91593 Happy Zoo Year More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 Starlight Express Room Christmas Party More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 Although this troop is from back in October the photos have only recently been released. Congratulations Once Again Mr & Mrs Christman "TK91488" Pretzel's Wedding Day October 20, 2018 More here By: Preston, Prezel, TK91488 Serve proudly, ladies and gentlemen, and as Tim (Dark CMF) says: "Keep doing what it is that got you here"! Are you an approved TK that spends more time on the boards than the average Trooper? Do you enjoy using your knowledge to help out future and existing Troopers? If so, we would like to invite you to join the Imperial Attaché program! Members of the I.A. team are chosen to help out not only those here on the boards, but on a local level as well. Our aim is to have at least one in each and every Garrison, Squad and Outpost in the entire legion to be the eyes and ears of the FISD on a local level. A suggested level of EIB or above is preferred, as part of the duties include assisting those aiming for levels 2 and 3, but is not a requirement. Being active on the boards on a regular basis , welcoming new members and helping out where you can is, though. Some of the benefits: 1. Access to exclusive Attaché merch., including patches, etc. 2. Having the Imperial Attaché title under your name. 3. Being a part of the team that welcomes new and prospective members of the FISD. 4. Being the "go-to" person in your Garrison, Squad or Outpost. 5. Exclusive access to the Attaché HQ area, Imperial Propaganda Machine (newsletter) and merchandise discussions. We are currently in need of Attaches in many units, especially International Garrisons/Squads and Outposts. For more information on this program, please head here and if you should have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at any time. (Pretzel) For a complete list of Imperial Attaches, go here IMPERIAL ATTACHE AWARD Imperial Attaché Award for those attaché's who have gone above and beyond [minimum 1 year of service] You can find a list of prior recipients here ATTACHE MERCHANDISE Attaché Patch NOW AVAILABLE For those of you on the Imperial Attaché staff, I am pleased to announce that the official I.A. patches will soon be available... again! Here are the details.. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! Patches will be limited to TWO per person, and will only be sold to those who are current FISD Imperial Attaches. These patches have been graciously DONATED to the FISD, so all you will need to do is cover the cost of shipping and PP fees, which will be $1.00 each for those in the U.S. and P.R. and $1.50 each for those outside the U.S. What a deal! You can find the thread here Attaché Ambassador Fellow Attaches & Members of the FISD. I wanted to take another moment to thank our Attaché team for being an extraordinary example of what the FISD is all about. I know with great confidence that many troopers are helping one another with their journey and hopes on becoming a Stormtrooper with the 501st Legion. The New Year is here, and if you are a recruit looking to join, fear not, as we here in the FISD will be assisting you along your journey. We have many experts willing to lend a hand, and I know 2019 won't be any different. As always, it is an honor and privilege to be representing the Attaches here. Thank You. With Unquestioned Loyalty Preston Christman TK-91488 "Pretzel" Attaché Ambassador So what exactly are EIB (Expert Infantry Badge) and Centurion levels? These programs were designed for those who choose to take their armor above and beyond the minimum requirements for basic 501st Legion approval. It gives you the chance to show a level of dedication and pride that takes your armor closer to being as "screen accurate" as possible, without as much extra work as you may realize! It also works on giving a better look to the Legion as an entity, and you can bet others will take notice of your hard work. The 501st has a list of detailed requirements for Basic approval, (level 1), EIB, (level 2) and Centurion, (level 3) which can be found here in the Costume Reference Library, (CRL) http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:FISD_CRL Here are a few of the questions people may be wondering about: 1. "I am a (tall/short/heavy/thin) Trooper. Can I still apply? Of course! These programs are open and encouraged for all sizes of TKs, as long as the costume is correct and meets the guidelines. There are many specific build tutorials to every option, as well as a vast network of fellow TKs on the FISD to help you out and offer suggestions. 2. "How much extra will I have to pay for extra items"? The cost is actually quite reasonable, considering the few extra supplies you will need, which are listed in the requirements area. While it may run you a little more to implement these additions to your costume, they will go a long way to improving accuracy. All needed items can be found for sale on this thread: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/16-ongoing-sales-project-orders/ While blasters are not required for basic approval, for EIB and Centurion levels they are, and may need upgrades (also listed in the CRL). 3. "I haven't even got my kit yet, is it too early to start planning"? Actually, aiming for Centurion is easiest to do right out of the box. 4. "I have my basic TK approval, can I still get in these programs"? In a word... absolutely! 5. "Are there any "perks" to this extra work and cost"? Besides knowing that you have a great looking set of armor, the 501st and FISD believes you should be deservedly recognized for your achievement(s), and allows you to wear the appropriate embroidered "rocker" badge of rank (available for a very minimum cost) on your shirt, helmet bag, etc., as well as rank decals to put on your armor bin. You will also have access to select "challenge coin" runs, receive (free) a cool certificate for your new rank, and have your title posted below your name in your FISD signature. Plus, once you reach these levels, you will have the extra knowledge to help out those who are looking to apply as well. 6. "Is it hard to apply, and what happens then"? After basic approval, all you do is make sure your armor is up to the standards set forth in the CRL, post a thread with the required photos in the appropriate area (see below), and wait a bit for the D.O.s (Deployment Officers) to address it. (Hint: Studying other people's threads before you submit can be a GREAT help). These are also listed on the main page of the FISD site. While waiting for approval, you will get some comments from others who will offer suggestions and constructive advice to help you out. If you should need any changes, the DOs will let you know, so you can adjust accordingly. Don't be dismayed if you do need changes... it's all for your benefit! After you are approved for EIB, then you can submit for Centurion. EIB https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/19-request-expert-infantryman-status/ Centurion https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/72-request-centurion-status/ Just remember that the FISD is here to help you every step of the way with whatever other questions you may have, but if you can't seem to find what you are looking for in your research, just ask away here on the forum. With Unquestioned Loyalty Joseph Pedigo TK-10863 "justjoseph63" Deployment Officer This area lists all those who have gone above and beyond basic approval toward screen accuracy. FOR December - January the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment would like to congratulate: Expert Infantry Badge Award: Roberto Cucchi "Roberto" TK 14965 EIB 878 Miguel G. Mügge "Mügge" TK 11519 EIB 879 Ryan Foresta "Manbehindthemask" TK 91593 EIB 880 Oscar De La Toba "Oscar" TK 22809 EIB 881 Fernando Alonso "Chips" TK 14767 EIB 882 SECOND EIB Awardees !! Luis S. Galan "Rietzer" TK 31513 Daniel "Ensi" TK 61514 GREAT job on your approval, now on to Level 3! Request your free EIB certificate here Centurion Badge Award: Wesley Gorman "theblueslime" TK 11937 Centurion 422 Jim "Rat" TK 95970 Centurion 423 Daniel "Ensi" TK 61514 Centurion 424 Outstanding job on reaching Centurion, Troopers! Request your free Centurion certificate here If you see any of these Troopers around your Garrison or Squad, be sure to congratulate them! As many of you are aware, the FISD is currently in our March to 1000 program. Our goal is to reach the one thousand mark of Troopers who have earned their Expert Infantry Badge, and although we are well on our way to this goal and have just reached the 880 mark! The amount of approved submissions is increasing (over 80 this year alone) thanks to the dedication of those willing to go the "extra mile" toward screen accuracy. Here is a brief description of EIB as written by Paul (Daetrin), our founder: "Expert Infantryman status is not required for members of this detachment. It should be viewed as an optional set of requirements for those who wish to take the accuracy of their costumes to the next level, and be recognized accordingly. We're a costuming club - think of it as an award for costuming excellence and you get the picture. The requirements will not replace or supersede 501st standards, but only serve as an inspiration for the level of accuracy that can be achieved. The standards are meant to be high but achievable..." Besides the added pride you will have in your armor, those reaching this level can purchase exclusive EIB gear (patches, decals, coins etc.) and get a free certificate for your accomplishment. If you are interested or would like more information about the program head here that will help. You can also contact myself "Pretzel" or any Imperial Attaché, and we will be more than happy to assist you! Greetings Troopers, It is with great honor and respect that I have accepted the position of DMBO. FISD has always been my home here in the Legion, and I look forward to working with the DL, command staff and members to make this detachment as great as it can be. A little bit about me - I have been a member of these forums for about two years and a member of the Legion for a little over a year. I have known about the 501st for several years, but it wasn't until the First Order Stormtrooper was unveiled in the first trailer for TFA that I decided to join and be one in real life. Plans change and I ended up joining as an ANH Stunt TK, and quickly applied for and earned my EI and Centurion badges. One year later and I still love every minute of it. I have also gladly served as an attaché and IPM member, helping others become stormtroopers and cleaning up our logos/branding. Lastly... merch is for the members. I'm not doing my job right if you feel you aren't being served - please, please post up a thread or send me a message if you have any ideas/comments/concerns. Once elections are over we will have a better handle on merchandise for the year - even with the new quotas, we have always believed in quality over quantity, and in the meantime you can look forward to some Celebration Chicago merch very soon! With Unquestioned Loyalty Brien Edick TK-92892 "Harbinger" Merchandise & Branding Officer FISD @ Celebration Chicago 2019 - Patch Contest ATTENTION TROOPERS!!! Feeling creative? Want to see your artwork and creativity immortalized and worn (and traded!) by hundreds at the biggest Star Wars event in the world? We are holding a contest to come up with an original FISD inspired patch design for Star Wars Celebration Chicago this April. The finished product will have it's own sales thread here and will be available for order as soon as possible! Contest Rules 1. The competition is from January 5th through midnight (PST) January 31st, at which time a poll will be opened so that everyone can vote on the design they like best. 2. There is no limit to the number of designs you can enter, and the shape can be round, chevron, etc. 3. You are welcome (and encouraged) to reference our official logos and colors at the bottom of this post to incorporate into your design. 4. All entries become the property of the FISD and 501st Legion. FISD Image/Color Reference: The winner will be announced in the February Newsletter. In addition, the winner will receive TWO (2) free patches of their design and some other cool swag (TBD) but most importantly, serious bragging rights! You can find the thread here ****PLEASE NOTE**** Although I try to add any new merchandise to the monthly newsletter not all merchandise runs coincide with each issue, it is always best to keep a watchful eye on the forums and especially on the merchandise area for any new runs as I am not privy to when they may be posted, as such some runs may not be included. FIRST ORDER RACING SHIRTS ***RUN CLOSED***Update 1/1/19 Finalization of current orders are underway. Any queries with regards to your order, please PM Berbs42 Big thanks one again to Chris for heading this run Interest Thread - Award Badges ***CLOSED - LMO APPROVAL DENIED*** Update 1/1/19 Matt "Bud Spaklur" posted an interest thread for award badges, unfortunately approval was denied, LMBO and team found the badges too similar to those used in the military, these will be revisited at a later date, perhaps after legion elections. Thread is here FISD OUTRUN TEE ***INTEREST THREAD***Update 1/12/19 Nate "The Snake" TK-87666 has posted the final design of his outrun tee and interest thread is live here. Run will be dependant on interest shown. Pricing USD $15 (which may be adjusted due to interested numbers) Newsletter FISD has been going through some refreshes over the last few months, logos, fonts, merchandise, so it's time the newsletter had a refresh too, hope you like it. Always looking for content so if there's something you like to share don't hesitate to reach out via PM. Hoping everyone had a great festive season break, wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year. With Unquestioned Loyalty Glen "Q" Rhodes TK-85421 "gmrhodes13" PRO - Newsletter Facebook & Twitter With Unquestioned Loyalty Daniel Lauber TK-55550 "Ripper_L" PRO - Facebook & Twitter Instagram With Unquestioned Loyalty Preston Christman TK-91488 "Pretzel" PRO - Instagram Facebook Group With Unquestioned Loyalty Marcus Dohring TK-14057 "JODOKAST" PRO - Facebook Group Don't Forget We're on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor Facebook Group: 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment (FISD) Official Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st Instagram: www.instagram.com/fisd501st On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff and the Imperial Propaganda Department

Normally there is no need to remove all of the return edge on the bottom of the thighs, many like the appearance it gives, you can see in the image below as screen used with return edge still attached. Ideally we try to keep the front coverstips as close to standard size, in this case 20mm with a minimum of distance between that and the raised sections and add any additional coverstip size to the back, just depends how wide that strip would thenhave to be, if too big then divide between the front and back.