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Kessel Run

501st Stormtrooper[TK]
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About Kessel Run

Member Title

  • Position
    Centurion

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Bakersfield, Ca.
  • Interests
    San Joaquin Squad

FISD Info

  • FISD Service Medals
    1
  • Centurion Granted Date
    20130315
  • EIB Awards
    1
  • EIB Cohorts
    ANH-S

Standard Info

  • Name
    Sam
  • 501st ID
    85254
  • 501st Unit
    Southern California Garrison

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  1. XOXO from the XO Around the Detachment Pam Rose Interview Trooper of the Month Troop of the Month Tip of the Month XOXO from the XO It has been too long since I have used this space to blather on about how great out little corner of the Legion interwebs is. Darth Life has had me by the short hairs for the first half of 2014 and the main reason I did not run for DL for a second term. There was a moment when I tried to step down at XO but Mathias shrugged me off in his usual Swedish way. I am now back to hitting reload on the new posts page obsessively and I like what I am seeing of late. I cannot prove it with any web metric like the number of forum posts, number of website hits, or the amount of bandwidth used but FISD seems a bit more alive than it has been in a while. What can I attribute this to? Since the last Celebration and the Star Warriors documentary on the bluray we have seen in an increased interest in the Legion. Maybe it is the ever increasing popularity of the franchise in conjunction with general cosplay fever. Whatever it is, welcome new troopers to the largest and most active detachment forum in the 501st Legion. We welcome you with open arms and advice laced with only the passion and minutiae we can provide. Speaking of the details.... if you've ever spent any time on the Sith Lord Detachment forum you may read the acronym "OVD" or "obsessive Vader disorder." More than making light of a serious affliction it really captures what I love about our hobby. You find the forum, you start reading, you get hooked, you buy armor, you start building, you get approved, and you keep on improving your armor. The next thing you know you are a few years in and arguing over the exact type of underwear they wore on set in 1976. Outside of the camaraderie on FISD, it is the devilish details that keep me reading build thread after build thread. One of the bigger happenings this month is the reintroduction of the AM armor line. Build threads for AM are popping up on our forums like gophers on a golf course. AM is armor is built for the wider and somewhat taller trooper. It is a fan sculpt, not as accurate and with no lineage to anything screen used. AM is acceptable for Expert Infantry, but not Centurion. With readily available kits being purchased at a rapid rate I would like to remind everyone that if you want to go Centurion you will need to purchase a new chest and back plate and use the butt join method of construction. The AM shins have been a source of confusion for years. Please read this HOWTO tutorial if you are one of the many recent purchasers of an AM kit. I used this space during my year as DL to highlight things that made me say "Wow! Take a look at this!" to the theoretical person looking over my shoulder. Rather than jam up the "Around the Detachment" section of this newsletter please allow me to share some badassery. Jes Gistang Comes to Life You are living in a dark FISD cave if you are not aware that Kevin Weir has single handled brought another costume to life and possibly to the Legion. This character makes a brief appearance in a little known Star Wars comic book. She was made more notable by her Gentle Giant statue. In short order KW sculpted and is now selling kits for a canon female stormtrooper. The armor debuted strikingly at San Diego Comicon. Jes Related Links: Jes Gistang Research Thread (check later posts for more photos) KW's Fem Trooper For Sale Thread Build Threadsjnnfr72 Arnie_DK neoakaj With Unquestioned Loyalty and Aloha.... Eric Brager TK-9674 "Darth Aloha" Executive Officer Expert Infantry 400! Alexandra Baszak (TK-29119) is our 400th Expert Infantry for her TM ESB TK. It is big achievement in itself and marks a landmark figure for our detachment. Please join us in wishing her a big congratulations in her EIB thread. CRL Change Announcement A small change has been made to most of the Expert Infantry sections of our Costume Reference Library. For the kidney plate the following wording has been added: Squared cut-out sections at the lower left and right corners of the Kidney Armor.The cut out is roughly 15 mm tall from the bottom and 10 mm in from the side.The notch can be seen here on this screen used suit in the Lucasfilm archives: Pam Rose Interview Our very own evan_loh scored an interview with Pam Rose this month. Pam was a Mos Eisley cantina patron, acted in small roles across many other films, and she is working with the Elstree 1976 documentary folks. She is still active signing autographs with other cast members from Star Wars. 1. How did you get the role as Leesub Sirln? A: I was sent to Elstree studios by my agent and not sure why I got the job; maybe legs and eyes?? 2. Was your character’s name originally called Leesub on set? If not what did they refer to you as? A: My original name was Weird Girl. It was later changed to Leesub Sirin but I don't know when. Then when my action figure was released in Nov 2009 it was Leesub Sirln. I should think it was a spelling error when manufactured. 3. The Cantina scene was a first of its kind displaying a myriad of never-seen-before creatures (along with some familiar ones). What was it like in the Cantina set, and have you been on a set like that before? A: The creatures in the Cantina were very different, but I had been dong film work since 1968 so nothing really surprised me. The Freeborn family who did my head cast and make up were brilliant and sadly missed. 4. How long did it take for the makeup team to set you up? A: My make up took 2 hours to apply and 1 hour to remove, first in the studio and last to leave so missed seeing most people as they are normally look. The head was used daily for 5 days with new skin applied every day. 5. Did you then have to shoot the whole scene in one day dressed up or were there iterations of putting on the makeup and cleaning up? A: As I said I did 5 days shooting and got 2 days overtime for the make up so I was very happy. I must admit my neck and face were getting a bit sensitive with being glued to keep the pink skin in place. 6. What were your instructions on set? A: Instructions?? Nothing that's sticks in my mind I just did as I was told and spent the breaks knitting. 7. Having a role in a movie as big as Star Wars is very much coveted especially these days with new Star Wars movies coming up. How much of an impact did Star Wars have on your life? A: Star Wars didn't have much impact on me until I retired in 2005. I had been running a Casino in London for over 20 years. I took redundancy, joined my old agent and she started receiving fan mail for me.So that was the start of me doing conventions and signings. I love meeting the fans and people I worked with; it was 38 years ago so its quite unbelievable. Thank you Star Wars. 8. You are also involved in an upcoming documentary called Elstree 1976. As we are anticipating this upcoming documentary what can you tell us about it and what do you feel about this project? A: Elstree 1976 has been fun to do and going back to the studios recently brought back many memories. I have worked there lots of times over the years. 9. What other characters have you played outside Star Wars? A: I have been in Space 1999, Batman with Micheal Keaton, Superman 1,2 and 4, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (I stood in for Jessica), Minder, Inspector Morse, Agatha (with Dustin Hoffman), Nasty Habits (with Glenda Jackson), Hamlet (with Mel Gibson) to name a few. 10. We’ve seen you in a few conventions. How and when did you start going as a guest to these conventions? A: I've been doing conventions for a few years and each year I have been getting more: Canada, South of France, Denmark, Germany and loads in the UK. 11. How often do you attend them and do you travel with others involved in Star Wars as well? A: I travel with other signers or on my own (I don't mind). I'm always made welcome where ever I go. I now do Space 1999 events (my 3rd coming up) and I have a Batcon later this year. 24 for this year so far and 2 in the pipeline plus bookings for 2015 already. Pam's website: www.pamroseleesubsirlin.com Evan Loh TK-24127 "evan_loh" Storming Australia - Scott's Epic Journey Continues Scott has been walking around Australia raising funds for Monash Children's Hospital, but unfortunately had to fly home a few months ago as his partner was ill. With Sal on the mend Scott is flying back to our end of Australia on the 24th of July and will be setting off back on his epic walk in Geraldton on Monday 28th July. He will heading north and because he is behind schedule this will see him crossing the top of Australia at the hottest time of the year. This is the most remote part of Australia so Scott will have to load up his trolley, the added weight and heat will definitely test his endurance. I know Scott is a Sandtrooper but still one of our brothers and I know many in the FISD as well as members throughout the 501st legion are watching his epic journey On Scott's break he had to do a little bit of work on his armor, the walk across the great divide of Australia was not kind to his armor, some TAG members helped Scott by donating pieces of armor. Scott is attempting this epic walk to raise funds for Monash Children's Hospital, he has so far raised $8,850 and hoping to raise $100,000. To support Scott donations can be made at Everday Hero Follow Scott's journey of on his Storming Australia Facebook page Glen Rhodes TK-85421 "gmrhodes13" Assistant Public Relations Officer It has been a while since we selected a Trooper of the Month. In the past the question has come up about how we the staff choose a FISD member for this honor. There is no simple answer but it was clear this trooper deserved the kudos. This month's awardee is Dark CMF (TK-51878). Tim's build thread is popular with an impressive 19 followers, 231 replies and 2,783 views as of the writing of the newsletter. Why is that? There are certainly enough people posting their progress with as much detail. Right now there are also build threads being updated with more accurate TK armor. It comes down to attitude. There is a certain FISD quality that is a mix of humor, self deprecation, willingness to admit you're wrong, and a basic need to help others that somehow ends up typifying "Troopers Helping Troopers." Cheer Tim on as he applies for EIB and beyond. It may be possible that he becomes the first RT-MOD Hero EIB. Congratulations trooper and thank you for everything you do for the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment. You know what I like to see? I like to see a metric butt-ton of shiny whites in one place. If they happen to be the group of TKs that make me laugh more than any other, all the better. The Southern California Garrison, home of the the Endor Party Crashers (EP!C) FISD fire team, took to the streets of La Verne California in force. Who knows what or where La Verne is, but I wish I could have been there to see them coming down the street looking sharp. Congratulations for having one of the most impressive collection of US TKs in one place, and looking good while doing it. (Except for Leeper, who is off my list for not wearing his shiny white tupperware) With Unquestioned Loyalty and Aloha.... Eric Brager TK-9674 "Darth Aloha" Executive Officer This top of the month comes from bpoodoo for a simple way to get exact and accurate cut lines for your pesky TK ears. In boatbuilding the process is called spiling, but in this application we will just call it clever. Please read the whole thread if you have some ears that need to be trimmed. Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  2. In Memoriam Around the Legion Around the Detachment Notable Troops Related News Off Topic Lance Starmer, SL-2640 of the 501st Legion, passed away on the 5th of June, 2014. Lance joined the 501st in 2000 as a member of the Empire City Garrison and later found his home in the Northeast Remnant. Lance always made trooping fun. He had an infectious smile and an uncanny ability to make the folks around him laugh. No matter what kind of day a person was having, Lance could make a comment about something from out of the blue, and you couldn’t help but feel better in his presence. He never took things too seriously, and he had a sharp wit and a twisted sense of humor - a dangerous combination around a bunch of guys and girls dressed in plastic, clinging on to our childhood. Known for his dedication to charitable causes, Lance was adamant about helping others achieve their costuming best in both the Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica communities, sometimes staying up all night to help a friend build a costume. He is survived by his children Christopher, Lance Jr., Aaron, and Clarissa. He will be missed by all who knew him. It is with great pride that we now enter Lance’s name into the 501st’s Hall of Eternal Legionnaires. Buckets off.. In mid June, members of the 501st Legion, Rebel Legion, Mandalorian Mercs, and numerous Star Wars fan clubs in 21 countries participated in the first World Blood Drive, helping to attract hundreds of blood donors and their families to blood donation centers and hospitals. In several countries, Star Wars fans organized events at multiple locations, resulting in a total of over 40 World Blood Drive events. Most events were scheduled for June 14 to coincide with the World Health Organization's annual World Blood Donor Day. Star Wars book author Ryder Windham, who conceived and helped organize the World Blood Drive, sent us photos from the blood drives. On his Facebook page, Windham announced: "The next World Blood Drive is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2015. June 13 happens to be Ralph McQuarrie's birthday. Without Mr. McQuarrie and his incredible influence on Star Wars, it's possible that you and I and a few million other people never would have connected. I predict that even more Star Wars costume groups and more countries will join next year's event!" A set of Stormtrooper armor is currently making the rounds among girls who need it, and the results should make us all proud. It started back in 2010 when a then 7-year-old Katie was being teased for how much she liked Star Wars. Other kids told her that only boys could like it, and they taunted her for carrying a Star Wars water bottle. When Katie's mom, author and HuffPost blogger Carrie Goldman, wrote about her daughter's experience, she got the attention of the 501st Legion, who sent messages of support and started the hashtag ‪#‎maytheforcebewithkatie‬. The legion even began wearing Star Wars gear in her honor. She was a viral internet sensation.Two years later, when Katie asked her mom if she could be a Stormtrooper for Halloween, Carrie knew where to turn for costume advice. She went back to the legion, and the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment, who went above and beyond to help her out. They raised funds to make a custom set of armor in Katie’s size. Mom wrote on her blog, "Katie rocked that armor at her school’s Halloween parade. And again while trick-or-treating. And in spring at the Purim Carnival. And in summer at Star Wars Day in Joliet. Getting her ready each time was a cosmic task, but the outcome was always stunning." But Katie is 11 now, and it’s time for a new girl to wear the suit. Late last year, the 501st Legion emailed Carrie with the idea, and asked if Katie might be ready to pass along her armor to another little girl who has been bullied and who needs a little love and a reminder that she shouldn't ever need to hide who she is. referring to an 11-year-old named Allison. Katie agreed to pass along the suit without hesitation. “I was surprised, because I knew it was special to her,†her mother said. Allison was given the armor at an Autism Speaks event. The Friday before members came to pick it up, Katie, her sister and friends spent the afternoon writing notes to Allison to accompany the armor. After its presentation, Allison couldn’t wait to try the costume on! The Stormtrooper armor's adventure won't end there. Once Allison outgrows it, the legion will work to pass the costume to another child in need of a confidence boost. “Even if someone tries to make fun of them for something, that doesn’t mean they should be ashamed of it,†a spokesperson said, explaining a mantra both girls now know very well. The Force is strong with these girls. The Canadian Garrison was invited to participate in the Toronto Animation Arts Festival Internationals (TAAFI), Nelvana Bouncing Ball 2014. They were asked to bring six TKs and a Vader. (Sadly, Vader got called back to the Death Star at the last minute to oversee some slow moving construction activities. A Sith Lord's work is never done!) "Before the show, we were hanging in the lobby with our fancy Canadian Garrison bowling shirts and bins and a group of folks recognized the 501st Legion," TK-25267 reported. "This was based on a 'cross-over' pitch meeting that they attended in L.A. a while back that had some 501st folk attending. At the time I was not sure who they were.". The armored attendees were asked to patrol the premises under strict orders to take photos and don paper beards for the amusement of everyone involved. "Those folks mentioned earlier? turns out they are the Co-creators of Phineas and Ferb," he continued. " Dan Povenmire, co-creator and voice of Dr. Doofenshmitz, and Jeff 'Swampy"'Marsh , co-creator and voice of Major Monogram." It seems like it was a blast for everyone involved! It was that time again: the time where costumers gather at Supa Nova in Perth for a weekend, where group shots from a highly talented member were being taken. "We spent the weekend shaking the tins for a local group, RDA, Riding for the Disabled Association," TK-85421 relayed. They were able to raise $2,653.70 through their endeavors! Excellent work, Troops. We have all heard about episode VII, and Star Wars Rebels. But have you heard about Elstree 1976? Elstree 1976, is an upcoming documentary by Jon Spira, that seeks to enlighten us with the storys of many of the actors from our favorite film. These were actors with smaller roles and their tales are yet untold. Have you wondered what it was like on the set when George Lucas sat on the director’s chair and coordinated Darth Vader’s scenes? or the iconic cantina scene? Ever wondered why the Stormtrooper hit his head on the gantry? This film intends to unmask (and unhelmet) these characters each of which have an exciting account of Star Wars behind the scenes. Their thoughts will be uncovered; how they felt about their role back then, and how they feel about it now. they will tell us what Star Wars means to them, and how it has impacted their lives. Among the cast and actors featured in this documentary are: Dave Prowse MBE (Darth Vader) Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) Paul Blake (Greedo) Anthony Forrest (Sandtrooper) Garrick Hagon (Biggs Darklighter) Pam Rose (Leesub Sirln) Angus Macinnes (Gold Leader) Derek Lyons (Rebel Massassi Temple Guard) John Chapman ( X-Wing Pilot) Laurie Goode (Hrchek Kal Fas and Stormtrooper) Check out their Facebook page for more details or to watch the trailer: Here With Unquestioned Loyalty, Evan Loh TK-24127 "evan-loh" IPM Corespondent Your first troop When did you have your first troop? Share your experience here Show your Star Wars Tattoo Got a Star Wars inspired tattoo? post it here Glen Rhodes TK-85421 "gmrhodes13" Imperial Attaché Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  3. In Memoriam Interview with Ryder Windham Around the Detachment Tips and Tricks Notable Troops Heidi N. Peterson, TI-1938 of 501st Legion’s Old Line Garrison, passed away on the 10th of April, 2014. A long time member of our costuming community, Heidi was well known for her creative generosity and compassion. She will be dearly missed. Those wishing to honor Heidi's memory may send donations to the Baltimore County Animal Shelter, 13800 Manor Road, Baldwin, MD, 21013. It is with great pride that we enter Heidi’s name into the 501st’s Hall of Eternal Legionnaires. Taggart Cline (TI-7430 of the 501st Wisconsin Garrison) passed away on the 12th of May, 2014. Holding dual memberships with the 501st and The Rebel Legion allowed Taggart twice the opportunities to share his costuming passions with fans and friends. Along with wearing his costumes to benefit others, Taggart found reward in the smiles of children. It is with great pride that we now enter Taggart’s name into the 501st’s Hall of Eternal Legionnaires. In early March, Ryder Windham, the author of numerous Star Wars books, and an honorary member of the 501st Legion, announced on Facebook that he wanted to help organize an international blood drive with the Star Wars costumer groups and fan clubs. Since then, groups in at least 30 countries have agreed to participate in the first "World Blood Drive." The IPM, had a chance to talk to Windham about his role in the blood drive, and also his work as a writer. IPM: What sparked the idea of the World Blood Drive? RW: Since 2011, I've been helping the 501st New England Garrison and Rebel Legion - Alderaan Base organize blood drives with the Rhode Island Blood Center. Last year, I found out that Cloud City Garrison in Oregon holds an annual blood drive called the Galaxy Blood Drive during the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. The theme of Galaxy Blood Drive is "Star Trek vs. Star Wars," and donors vote for their favorite franchise by way of giving blood. While this may sound like a silly contest, it's actually for a very good cause, to help attract donors to blood centers during the holidays, a time of year that's always a challenge for blood centers to meet their goals. This past December, I helped organize a simultaneous Galaxy Blood Drive with the 501st New England Garrison in Rhode Island. I'm not certain, but it may have been the first-ever bicoastal blood drive involving two 501st clubs. This experience got me thinking about the possibility of the Star Wars costumer clubs doing an international blood drive. On Facebook, I'd gotten to know Roberto Carlos Moscoso, a fellow fans of Star Wars. He's a computer systems engineer who also runs a blood bank in Guatemala. Thanks to Roberto, I'd learned about World Blood Donor Day, an annual event founded by the World Health Organization in 2004. World Blood Donor day is celebrated on June 14, the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, who created the ABO blood group system for blood transfusions. The moment I realized that June 14 happens to fall on a Saturday in 2014, I knew that was a good date for an international blood drive with the 501st. IPM: Did it just start locally with just you and a few friends or was it done over an internet-based community? RW: First, I had to set up a blood drive in my own state. After I made sure that the 501st New England Garrison was available on June 14, I contacted Wil Gregersen, a friend at the Warwick Public Library, who knows about my interest in doing blood drives, and who'd given me an open invitation to do an event at his library. By coincidence, The Warwick Public Library was already planning a "Summer Reading Kick-Off" event for June 14, and they anticipate over 200 children and their families will be attending, so it's a great opportunity for kids to see the 501st in action.Then I contacted the Rhode Island Blood Center, and asked if they could provide a bloodmobile for the library. Even though June 14 was several months away, the blood center had already scheduled blood drives for that date. Fortunately, they were able to reschedule, and then we were all set. After that, I contacted a few friends in the 501st, friends who are also very enthusiastic about blood drives, to confirm whether an international event was viable. I wrote to Gustavo Calviño of Garrison Argentina, Frederic Ulrichts of 501st Legion Ireland Outpost, which has since become a Garrison, and Roberto Carlos Moscoso in Guatemala. All of them were interested, and that encouraged me to contact more costumer clubs by way of Facebook and email. Some had never done blood drives before, so I explained how I work with my own local blood center. As long as you plan ahead, at least three months in advance, it's really just a matter of contacting the blood centers and the costumer clubs, and finding out if they're available to do a blood drive at a specific location. IPM: How many garrisons of the 501st are involved in the World Blood Drive, and are there any non-501st groups involved? RW: I don't know the exact number of 501st garrisons involved, but I believe it's more than 40. The Mandalorian Mercs, the Rebel Legion, and the R2 Builder's Club will also be participating. When I contacted Tom Hutchens, the founder of the Mandalorian Mercs, he was immediately supportive, very excited about helping out. At last count, costumer groups in at least 30 countries will be participating in the World Blood Drive. IPM: Will all the World Blood Drive events happen on June 14? RW: No. For various reasons, a few will be happening before that date. For example, most members of Nordic Garrison in Denmark were already committed to another event on June 14, so Nordic Garrison member Heidi L. Sørensen is planning on meeting up with a bloodmobile in Nyborg on June 12. Also, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service wasn't able to work with Ireland Garrison on June 14, but they were able to set up blood drives on Friday, June 13. It really doesn't matter whether we all do blood drives on the exact same day. What's important is that we're all involved with blood drives. And the fact that so many Star Wars fans want to join in on this event, that's truly wonderful. IPM: Do you think the World Blood Drive could become an annual event? RW: I hope so! Because the second Saturday in June seems to work well for so many Star Wars fans and blood centers, I've been proposing that the second annual World Blood Drive will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2015. IPM: How does one sign up for this year's event? RW: I helped set up a Facebook page for the World Blood Drive. I'm hoping to have a complete list of locations for the blood drives soon. I'll send you a link for the Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/worldblooddrive IPM: How long have you been a Star Wars fan, and how did you get involved with Star Wars professionally? RW: My first awareness of Star Wars was by way of Starlog Magazine, several months before the first movie was released in 1977. A Starlog article showed a few of Ralph McQuarrie's concept paintings, and those paintings had me hook, line, and sinker. I've been a fan of comics since I was a kid, so I read Marvel's Star Wars comics. In college, I majored in graphic design and illustration, but I wound up becoming a comic book editor, first at Fantagraphics Books, and then at Dark Horse Comics, where I edited Lucasfilm titles.One of my first assignments was to edit the last few issues ofThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Then I was assigned to develop a new series, Star Wars: Droids. IPM: How did you become a writer? RW: When I was editing Lucasfilm titles for Dark Horse, my main contact at Lucasfilm was Allan Kausch, who was in charge of approving the comics, and maintaining story continuity between the comics, novels, and games. A few months after I left Dark Horse in 1995, Allan began recommending me as a writer to Lucasfilm's publishing licensees. Before that, I'd only written a few scripts for comics, including the Droids series, but I've never had an agent or a representative, so I was very fortunate that Allan thought I had any potential as a writer. If it weren't for him, I can't imagine I would have had the opportunity to write so many Star Wars books. IPM: What would be your favorite work so far? RW: I'll always be fond of the comic book scripts that I wrote for Droids. I collaborated with artists Ian Gibson and Bill Hughes on the stories, and Kilian Plunkett did the cover art. Generally, whatever I'm working on at the moment is what interests me the most. I don't mean to dismiss the various books I've written, but I'm actually more proud of my work with the 501st Legion on the blood drives. As much as I enjoy writing Star Wars books, the blood drives are extremely gratifying because every donation can help save lives. IPM: You’re writing an upcoming novel on Star Wars Rebels. Rebels is going back to the nostalgic theme and feel of the Original Trilogy. What are your thoughts on this direction and would you be adopting the same nostalgic essence of the OT. Or are you planning to give a fresh new perspective in this upcoming novel? RW: Star Wars Rebels is fun because it introduces several new characters to a time period in the Star Wars galaxy that hasn't been explored very much. I'm a big fan of Lucasfilm Animation, and I watched every episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, so I'm looking forward to Rebels. Before I began writing the novel, I had a series of talks with Lucasfilm's Story Group, so I could understand their goals for the project. They provided me with information about a new character, Ezra Bridger, and also info about the world he lives on. They wanted the story to take place before Bridger's introduction to other principal characters, but I was also required to weave in a few details from one early episode of Rebels. Beyond that, I had a lot of latitude with the story. I thought it would be practical to have a previously established character appear in the novel, and I proposed the bounty hunterBossk. I'd written stories about Bossk before, and he'd also appeared in The Clone Wars. I imagined many readers would appreciate having a familiar character introduce them to the world of Rebels. Just a few weeks before I got the assignment to work on the Star Wars Rebels novel, I met actorAlan Harris, who played Bossk in The Empire Strikes Back, at Rhode Island Comic Con, so the character was definitely on my mind when I got the assignment. Anyway, I was delighted that Lucasfilm agreed to let me incorporate Bossk into the novel. But I wouldn't say that I was completely compelled by nostalgia to add Bossk. My job was to write an entertaining adventure story for Star Wars fans. Adding Bossk just helped me get that job done. IPM: You also wrote The Complete Vader with Peter Vilmur. The book featured all aspects of Vader; the history, cultural impact and even the technical aspects of Vader’s weaponry and vehicles. What was it like to take on a project on such a massive and rich character? RW: It was a fantastic opportunity, and I enjoyed working with Pete Vilmur. Pete primarily handled the chapters dealing with merchandise while I handled publishing aspects, but we both wrote various "behind the scenes" bits that, I think, made the book especially interesting. We were also both determined to present as many previously-unpublished photos and illustrations as we could gather. The only problem with working on the book was that after we'd delivered our final manuscript, we were still compulsively researching, looking for new information and images regarding Vader. Vader just keeps on going, and going. IPM: The Complete Vader was one of the first books to bring attention to Brian Muir's contribution as the sculptor of Vader's helmet and armor. Did you know much about Brian Muir's work before? RW: No, I didn't. Shortly after I'd received the assignment for The Complete Vader in 2008, I was contacted by Thomas Diefenbach, a Star Wars fan and collector, and something of an expert on Vader's armor. Thomas had interviewed Brian, the artist who was also the sculptor of Stormtrooper armor, and Thomas was keen acknowledging Brian's significant contribution to Star Wars.At the time, I was aware of the copyright dispute between Lucasfilm and Andrew Ainsworth, who claimed credit for the creation of various Star Wars helmets and armor. Brian and Liz Moore sculpted the helmets and armor, and then Ainsworth was given fiberglass molds of the pieces, so all he did was pull plastic over the molds for production purposes. He had nothing to do with the design. Anyway, thanks to Thomas, and after confirming details with Lucasfilm, I was determined to make sure Star Wars fans knew that Brian Muir was the sculptor responsible for Vader and the Stormtrooper. IPM: Can you tell us what books you're working on now? RW: No, I can't! I'll have to wait until Lucasfilm or a publisher makes an announcement. But I can say that I already have lined up several upcoming blood drives with the 501st. I'll be with 501st Connecticut Garrison at Connecticut ComiCONN in August, and with the New England Garrison at Rhode Island Comic Con in November, where Brian Muir is scheduled to attend, too. When I'm invited to conventions, I just try to find out whether the organizers are amenable to hosting blood drives, and we proceed from there. Giving blood is an easy way to help save lives. I can't think of a better way to be useful at a convention. But I never would have thought of organizing blood drives if the 501st hadn't set the example for doing good deeds. I'm very proud to be associated with the troops. [Note: here are links for Connecticut ComiCONN and Rhode Island Comic Con.] http://www.comiconn.com http://www.ricomiccon.com <<Cover art for The Complete Vader (2009), which Windham co-wrote with Peter Vilmur. >> <<Ryder Windham gives whole blood every eight weeks at the Rhode Island Blood Center in Providence.>> <<After learning about Cloud City Garrison and Kashyyyk Base's annual Galaxy Blood Drive with the American Red Cross in Oregon, Windham helped organize a simultaneous Galaxy Blood Drive with the 501st Legion New England Garrison, Alderaan Base, Firaxan Clan, and Andorian costumers of XLV Korelath at the Rhode Island Blood Center in Providence. >> With Unquestioned Loyalty, Evan Loh TK-24127 "evan-loh" IPM Corespondent We would like to welcome our 16th Fire Team! Swamp Troopers, of the Bast Alpha Garrison. (Serving Louisiana) Fireteam Liberty, has launched a Facebook page, you can see it here. Go like their page to see what they are up to. They have also started a new patch run!. This is considered Non official 501st merchandise, and is therefore open to anyone. If your interested, go check it out here. . Current Tallies: Centurion Awards: 123 Expert Infantry Awards: 383 Are we going to make it to 700 this year? It's time for everyone to step it up. If you know someone who is close but hasn't applied, help them out and encourage them to do so. Been procrastinating that honor yourself? Get it done, it's not too much extra work! We would love to see your name on the "honor roll" of 700 in December! Fire Teams: 16 Troop often with the same people-in-white? Perhaps you should form a fire team! Twitter Followers: 1506 Facebook Followers: 2627 Instagram Followers: 173 Keep up the good work, Troopers! Those darned ears. I've over trimmed my share and had to start with new ones a number of times. Cutting along the mold line how the ears were trimmed originally may not be the correct line. A beginner's error is just to trim a fixed amount relative to the outside of the ear for a consistent thickness. This often results in over trimming. (The outside of the ear actually plays no part in determining the appropriate trim line except for determining how much ear you have to work with.) And once you've over trimmed in just one section, you either live with the gap or buy new ears. As I thought more about what makes a proper ear trim line, I realized it's not a trait of the ear: it's a trait of the helmet. It's the width contour of the helmet along the points where the edges of the ear touch the helmet that defines the ear trim curve for no gaps. The trick is how to copy this contour onto the ear. Here I show a simple method for creating what should be a gap-free trim line using a pencil, a toothpick, and a rubber band. In my trials with this method, it usually gets within +/- 2mm or so around front and back of the desired trim line; it's not perfectly accurate. Some additional fine cutting or sanding is also needed to finish the trim. As a minimum, this technique can be used to get a general idea of what the trim line should look like and to show where the various inflection points are, and where the sections are such that if you trim too aggressively there, you may run out of ear elsewhere. I show an example where I'm using an ear already on a helmet for which I may want to reduce its thickness, but the same technique can be done a new untrimmed ear. The prerequisites are that the helmet's faceplate and cap-and-back have been assembled together and that you've decided where the ear will be placed on the helmet to establish the location where the ear's bottom edges will meet the helmet. The untrimmed ear then needs to be held or secured level in that location on the helmet as the front and back contour lines are traced. While I only show the front half of the ear in these pictures, it's necessary to trace the helmet contour on the entire ear, front and back, using the same vertical offset throughout. With Unquestioned Loyalty, David "BPOODOO" The Mountain Garrison were enlisted for a promotional photo shoot for Denver International Airport, in conjunction with LFL. Outdoor shots were taken first, and even though it wasn't planned, they were given the opportunity to have pictures taken with the big blue horse known as Mustang (but affectionately called Blucefir). The Troopers then retreated to the terminal for the indoor shots, attracting scores of spectators, many with cameras of their own TK-13014 said, "This was definitely a lot of fun for all of us, as we got to go out on the tarmac and even over the active runways, with planes taking off and landing just a hundred feet behind us. I'm sure it was interesting for all the passengers to see, as well." Several local news stations (and one national) covered the event. SL3180 Felixx Welliver TK's: TK13014 Matt Bradshaw TK98150 Chris Cowdin TK52810 Travis Durland TK5991 Robert Webb May 4 Rome Event The event was organized by Disney/Lucasfilms and took place on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. On Saturday, Darth Vader and Walt Disney Company Italia S.r.I. President, Daniel Frigo, flanked by Stormtroopers, occupied the town hall and met with the chairman of the Rome City Council. That evening, there was a short parade to the Colosseum, where a 1:1 scale TIE Advanced (assembled by the German Garrison), was on display. On Sunday, several members were allowed inside the Colosseum to take pictures and video. Thousands of citizens of the Empire gathered to watch a procession of approximately 100 uniformed members of the 501st Italica Garrison and Rebel Legion. Afterwards, members took up positions near the TIE to take pictures and entertain the onlookers. According to TK-8177, "Suddenly, people stopped to photograph the Colosseum and moved toward us. It was really exciting! We felt like stars!" Public attendance for this event was much higher than anticipated, and appears to have been a huge success. Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  4. apologies to all those sent to the wrong place by the Email blast. I made an error in the coding, still fairly new to that part of it also if you received multiple emails, I sorry for that as well.
  5. As mentioned here is the thread for the EIB Q&A from May's Newsletter. should you have a question post it and we will try to get it answered for you. IPM: What is the Expert Infantry Badge program and its vision? Daetrin: The Expert Infantry award program is captured as the second goal of our detachment charter, as I felt the program was so crucial to the detachment's success, it was imperative to write it in. To quote "2. Develop and create a higher standard of Stormtrooper costume for members to achieve and a "kudo" (e.g. deployed status) as a recognition of that accomplishment (the same way the Mos Eisley Police Department has created a higher standard for MEPD Deployment). The goal of this is not to force people to achieve the higher standard, but rather to demonstrate what the costume can become and recognize those who achieve it." The intent is to be a step up from base standards, however not to be the highest level of accuracy one can achieve in a 501st costume. If the standards are too high and rely on items that are expensive or very hard to acquire, or that takes a large amount of time, very few people will go for it. This is what happened to Lancer. For these reasons I wanted a program that could be achieved with a moderate level of time, money and skill, yet still push the bar on accuracy. As you can see, at it's heart it's a recognition program. There really shouldn't be any tangible benefit except the satisfaction that one went above and beyond the base standard, and you were congratulated for it. This is why the only EI-only merchandise is the gold coin; people should be striving for this achievement because they can enjoy the pride in a job well done, and not for any material benefit. By recognition, they can inspire others to do the same. My thought was that if we ever get to 30% adoption, then we should increase the standards. However, as the base standards were increased, we had to up the EI standards so that they were a bump up, yet again, over base. I think it's important for people to remember that this is an optional program. Not participating does not make you a lesser member in FISD. IPM: How and when did this program come about? Daetrin: When I started in the Legion back in 2005, there was no forum for Stormtroopers. This was a problem for me because I was in a pretty small garrison where we only trooped maybe once a month (or every other month) and the membership was low. Secondly, information was hard to come by. There were a few sites like Dean Plantamura's White Armor Chronicles and also Mike Harrison's site, however there was no place to ask questions. If I asked locally I was told, "When you get in, we'll tell you," or when someone showed me pictures of what I later learned was poor recast AP armor and I asked about its accuracy, the response I got was "Why are you asking so many questions?". I discovered MEPD (Mos Eisley Police Department - the Sandtrooper forum) and found a whole different experience. On MEPD, they discussed *everything,* and people are very willing to share what they knew. I was shocked. "Is this what the rest of the Legion is like?" I kept wondering why there was no such resource for Stormtroopers, but when I asked if there was a Stormtrooper detachment, I was told, "You're in it." I guess for old-time troopers in big garrisons, people had a lot of local help. Also, as it turned out, it seemed there was a type of old-time trooper who really had no sympathy for new people, and the pattern seemed to be that they let you buy FX armor on Ebay for $1,300 to get started, but once you were in, they told you how to get FX via the Legion for much less, or they told you about AP or RT, which were far more accurate. My motivation was that I didn't want any other new Stormtrooper to go what I went through - being lied to, or else just had information withheld. I wanted MEPD for TKs. I felt even if the detachment never grew beyond 20 people and only got a few hits a month, if I could save even one person the pain I went through, I'd be happy. And thus, FISD was born. MEPD also had a really cool deployed program where they encouraged and acknowledged people who wanted to go beyond base 501st standards and up their costume. I thought this was very inspiring and worked out well - even today about 1/3rd of all Sandtroopers are "deployed." The Legion at the time was probably about 90% out of the box FX, and it seemed strange to me that the "backbone of the Legion" would have the lowest costume standards accuracy-wise, and I wanted the EI program to encourage my fellow TKs to take the same leap that those on MEPD did. This is why the program is identical between the two detachments. Being an XO on MEPD back in the day helped ensure that the standards between the programs were comparable. IPM: Where is the name "Expert Infantry Badge" derived from? Daetrin: Originally, we put the title to a vote and it was called the "Mark" program, e.g. an ANH trooper was called "Mark IV". This was clearly a case where sometimes the wisdom of the crowd is not so wise. Since no one really liked the name, we rebranded it to "Elite," and you can still find some bin stickers that say FISD Elite on them. However some of the old TKs in the Legion felt we were too "elitist," so it had to change (we were forced to). I started thinking about what would capture the essence of the program. I started my Army career as as infantryman (11B), and thought that the Army's Expert Infantryman award was pretty appropriate. In other words, it was an award that went to any trooper who was able to demonstrate mastery of the basics of his craft. Hmmm...sounds exactly like what I wanted, so I changed the name years ago and the rest is history. This is also why all the FISD branding derives from the US Army colors and insignia, by the way. When you are the one creating the detachment, you get to design the logo... IPM: This program has come a long way. Were there any initial struggles such as misconceptions about it, raising awareness, or launching the program? Daetrin: Absolutely. The primary struggle was that many of the old-time troopers - and thus many in Legion leadership positions - had out-of-the-box FX suits and had no desire to put any more time and effort in to their suits. For whatever reason, they were very reluctant to have new troopers be better looking and more accurate. It's sad because in my mind, it's natural that those that come later would benefit from the pioneering spirit of those that came before. Life is about change, so trying to keep the standards locked in to 2004 seemed very strange to me, especially as other costumes were constantly raising their own accuracy bar. However, what has happened is that the older members simply retire than upgrade, and for new members going EI isn't much more work than base standards on a new suit, so most of the folks going EI are new members. As they move up in to leadership roles, themselves, through the years, the resistance has faded. Now many detachments have such a program: SLD, SpecOps, IOC, BSN. It may be hard for people to understand that at the time we started, only MEPD has such a program, and FISD was only the second detachment to create one. A huge thanks has to be paid to Ed DaSilva - the DL after my first term - who battled relentlessly to ensure that the Stormtrooper standards wouldn't be allowed to languish. He is truly an unsung hero of FISD and Stormtrooping costuming in the Legion. IPM: As of April 2014, the FISD has 369 active Expert Infantries representing 60 garrisons in 28 countries. What are your thoughts on its current state? Daetrin: I'm pleased that it has grown, although I am disappointed that it has leveled out in the past few years. We have over 2,129 TKs in the Legion. If we were as successful as MEPD, we'd have 700 Expert Infantry members in the Legion. So while 370 sounds impressive, I feel we're only half way there. This is why I'm so passionate that rather than focusing on Centurion or worrying about yet another program, FISD should really concentrate on outreach to help get more Expert Infantry in the Legion. Think about it: if every EI helped just *one* person go EI, we could double the ranks overnight. IPM: How can one become an Expert Infantry? Daetrin: It's quite easy. Even someone with an FX suit can achieve it for about $50 and an afternoon of work. For people doing new build suits, there truly is no extra effort involved as all modern suits come EI ready, which was not the case back when FX was popular. All one has to do is read the standard and build their suit accordingly. In fact, when I go to conventions, I see many troopers who are one detail or two away from achieving it, such as not having a D-ring on their blaster. A $1 part and they'd be there. IPM: Can one apply for multiple costumes? Daetrin: Absolutely! That's part of the fun. Only two people have a gold instead of silver star above their EIB badge Todd Maxfield-Matsumto and Glen "gmrhodes13 Rhodes. You can achieve extra awards at EIB for each additional version costume approved, this will be shown on the thread title as [APPROVED 2nd], [APPROVED 3rd] and so on and you will receive an extra star for each EIB approval on your profile. NOTE If you are approved with a second version of a particular costume you do not receive an additional award, there is only 1 award issued for each costume version ie: only 1 x Hero, 1 x Stunt, 1 x HWT, 1 x ESB, 1 x TFA and so on. If you have a second/additional version costume approved you will see "2nd version" and [APPROVED] added to the thread title, no additional profile stars (more info on profile awards here)
  6. In Memoriam Expert Infantry Q&A Around the Detachment Troop of the Month Related News Swag Alert Scott Rose, TK-346, of the legion's Neon City Garrison, passed away on the morning of April 20, 2014. Scott, a former member of the Georgia Garrison, had once lost his home to a fire, and his 501st Family leapt into action. Donations were gathered to help Scott and his family rebuild. A new set of Stormtrooper armor was also supplied to allow Scott to troop again once his home was re-established. He never stopped trying to repay or show his appreciation for all those who had helped him. Scott was never afraid to speak his mind, and he was humble to the last. He was a shining example of a good man and he will be greatly missed. Scott Rose TK-346 now joins the ranks of the Eternal Legionaries. Buckets off. Some of you might be wondering why there's an "Expert Infantry" ribbon under some screen names on the FISD forums. Some of you might not even have heard of it or are Expert Infantries, themselves, but do not know the history behind it. Who better than Daetrin (Paul) himself, founder of both the Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) program and the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment, to tell us about this program?! Hi Paul! IPM: What is the Expert Infantry Badge program and its vision? Daetrin: The Expert Infantry award program is captured as the second goal of our detachment charter, as I felt the program was so crucial to the detachment's success, it was imperative to write it in. To quote "2. Develop and create a higher standard of Stormtrooper costume for members to achieve and a "kudo" (e.g. deployed status) as a recognition of that accomplishment (the same way the Mos Eisley Police Department has created a higher standard for MEPD Deployment). The goal of this is not to force people to achieve the higher standard, but rather to demonstrate what the costume can become and recognize those who achieve it." The intent is to be a step up from base standards, however not to be the highest level of accuracy one can achieve in a 501st costume. If the standards are too high and rely on items that are expensive or very hard to acquire, or that takes a large amount of time, very few people will go for it. This is what happened to Lancer. For these reasons I wanted a program that could be achieved with a moderate level of time, money and skill, yet still push the bar on accuracy. As you can see, at it's heart it's a recognition program. There really shouldn't be any tangible benefit except the satisfaction that one went above and beyond the base standard, and you were congratulated for it. This is why the only EI-only merchandise is the gold coin; people should be striving for this achievement because they can enjoy the pride in a job well done, and not for any material benefit. By recognition, they can inspire others to do the same. My thought was that if we ever get to 30% adoption, then we should increase the standards. However, as the base standards were increased, we had to up the EI standards so that they were a bump up, yet again, over base. I think it's important for people to remember that this is an optional program. Not participating does not make you a lesser member in FISD. IPM: How and when did this program come about? Daetrin: When I started in the Legion back in 2005, there was no forum for Stormtroopers. This was a problem for me because I was in a pretty small garrison where we only trooped maybe once a month (or every other month) and the membership was low. Secondly, information was hard to come by. There were a few sites like Dean Plantamura's White Armor Chronicles and also Mike Harrison's site, however there was no place to ask questions. If I asked locally I was told, "When you get in, we'll tell you," or when someone showed me pictures of what I later learned was poor recast AP armor and I asked about its accuracy, the response I got was "Why are you asking so many questions?". I discovered MEPD (Mos Eisley Police Department - the Sandtrooper forum) and found a whole different experience. On MEPD, they discussed *everything,* and people are very willing to share what they knew. I was shocked. "Is this what the rest of the Legion is like?" I kept wondering why there was no such resource for Stormtroopers, but when I asked if there was a Stormtrooper detachment, I was told, "You're in it." I guess for old-time troopers in big garrisons, people had a lot of local help. Also, as it turned out, it seemed there was a type of old-time trooper who really had no sympathy for new people, and the pattern seemed to be that they let you buy FX armor on Ebay for $1,300 to get started, but once you were in, they told you how to get FX via the Legion for much less, or they told you about AP or RT, which were far more accurate. My motivation was that I didn't want any other new Stormtrooper to go what I went through - being lied to, or else just had information withheld. I wanted MEPD for TKs. I felt even if the detachment never grew beyond 20 people and only got a few hits a month, if I could save even one person the pain I went through, I'd be happy. And thus, FISD was born. MEPD also had a really cool deployed program where they encouraged and acknowledged people who wanted to go beyond base 501st standards and up their costume. I thought this was very inspiring and worked out well - even today about 1/3rd of all Sandtroopers are "deployed." The Legion at the time was probably about 90% out of the box FX, and it seemed strange to me that the "backbone of the Legion" would have the lowest costume standards accuracy-wise, and I wanted the EI program to encourage my fellow TKs to take the same leap that those on MEPD did. This is why the program is identical between the two detachments. Being an XO on MEPD back in the day helped ensure that the standards between the programs were comparable. IPM: Where is the name "Expert Infantry Badge" derived from? Daetrin: Originally, we put the title to a vote and it was called the "Mark" program, e.g. an ANH trooper was called "Mark IV". This was clearly a case where sometimes the wisdom of the crowd is not so wise. Since no one really liked the name, we rebranded it to "Elite," and you can still find some bin stickers that say FISD Elite on them. However some of the old TKs in the Legion felt we were too "elitist," so it had to change (we were forced to). I started thinking about what would capture the essence of the program. I started my Army career as as infantryman (11B), and thought that the Army's Expert Infantryman award was pretty appropriate. In other words, it was an award that went to any trooper who was able to demonstrate mastery of the basics of his craft. Hmmm...sounds exactly like what I wanted, so I changed the name years ago and the rest is history. This is also why all the FISD branding derives from the US Army colors and insignia, by the way. When you are the one creating the detachment, you get to design the logo... IPM: This program has come a long way. Were there any initial struggles such as misconceptions about it, raising awareness, or launching the program? Daetrin: Absolutely. The primary struggle was that many of the old-time troopers - and thus many in Legion leadership positions - had out-of-the-box FX suits and had no desire to put any more time and effort in to their suits. For whatever reason, they were very reluctant to have new troopers be better looking and more accurate. It's sad because in my mind, it's natural that those that come later would benefit from the pioneering spirit of those that came before. Life is about change, so trying to keep the standards locked in to 2004 seemed very strange to me, especially as other costumes were constantly raising their own accuracy bar. However, what has happened is that the older members simply retire than upgrade, and for new members going EI isn't much more work than base standards on a new suit, so most of the folks going EI are new members. As they move up in to leadership roles, themselves, through the years, the resistance has faded. Now many detachments have such a program: SLD, SpecOps, IOC, BSN. It may be hard for people to understand that at the time we started, only MEPD has such a program, and FISD was only the second detachment to create one. A huge thanks has to be paid to Ed DaSilva - the DL after my first term - who battled relentlessly to ensure that the Stormtrooper standards wouldn't be allowed to languish. He is truly an unsung hero of FISD and Stormtrooping costuming in the Legion. IPM: As of April 2014, the FISD has 369 active Expert Infantries representing 60 garrisons in 28 countries. What are your thoughts on its current state? Daetrin: I'm pleased that it has grown, although I am disappointed that it has leveled out in the past few years. We have over 2,129 TKs in the Legion. If we were as successful as MEPD, we'd have 700 Expert Infantry members in the Legion. So while 370 sounds impressive, I feel we're only half way there. This is why I'm so passionate that rather than focusing on Centurion or worrying about yet another program, FISD should really concentrate on outreach to help get more Expert Infantry in the Legion. Think about it: if every EI helped just *one* person go EI, we could double the ranks overnight. IPM: How can one become an Expert Infantry? Daetrin: It's quite easy. Even someone with an FX suit can achieve it for about $50 and an afternoon of work. For people doing new build suits, there truly is no extra effort involved as all modern suits come EI ready, which was not the case back when FX was popular. All one has to do is read the standard and build their suit accordingly. In fact, when I go to conventions, I see many troopers who are one detail or two away from achieving it, such as not having a D-ring on their blaster. A $1 part and they'd be there. IPM: Can one apply for multiple costumes? Daetrin: Absolutely! That's part of the fun. Todd Maxfield-Matsumto currently has the record with 6 EI awards, and is, in fact, the only person to have a gold instead of silver star above his badge. We will be starting a thread on the FISD forums, should you have any questions of your own. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Evan Loh TK-24127 "evan-loh" IPM Corespondent Congratulation to Our Armorer and the CO of the UKG, Gary Hailes, who made his 500th troop In April! Buckets off to you sir. Photographers, correspondents, or anyone just willing to lend a hand! Join the Imperial Propaganda machine, and help keep our troops around the world informed. Contact me for more information on how you can be a part of the team. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer Troop for a 3 year old with Autism Germany April 2014. Well, we certainly have come a long way from when dolphins were used for finding mines and lost torpedoes, and our brothers from the German Garrison experienced this firsthand! Some intrepid Stormtroopers and the Stalwart Lord Vader traveled to Laufen, Germany, to assist a three-year-old girl and her family by raising some much-needed funds for dolphin-assisted therapy. (A growing practice that utilizes interaction with the animals to help with a myriad of ailments.) The young girl, Alicia, suffers from Autism. She cannot speak and must be monitored constantly during her waking hours. After hearing of this young girl's plight, our boys in white flew into action and descended on a street festival in an attempt to garner support. Over the six hours that followed, the troops raised 1,470€.That money, in addition to 300€ that the troops had raised before they arrived at the event, will help get Alicia's family one step closer to their goal. Moved to further support the cause, they raised about 240€ at a small event that was put on by the family. "We just wanted to see Alicia again and she was dressed as Princess Leia to surprise us," TK-50175 reported. "Even if she didn't speak to us, she remembered us, and I was so surprised when she kissed me on the cheek! Isn't that sweet?" We certainly think so. Keep up the excellent work! Vader: Rene Reichlin/ SL-18808 TKs: Heiko Bothner/ TK-8343 Andreas Bothner/ TK-4657 Thomas Nagel/ TK-8145 Marc Rehm/ TK-50175 TB: Henry Kosel/TB-5668 As most of you know, May the fourth is Star Wars Day. With that in mind, here are a few events that have been brought to my attention: Disney/Lucasfilm has organized an official event in Italy for Star Wars Day on Sunday, May 4th, 2014 (May the fourth), the famous Colosseum in Rome will be surrounded by all things Star Wars! This all-day event will take place from 10 am to 8 pm. There will be video of Star Wars being projected onto the walls of the Colosseum and 1:1 scale props (including the beautiful Tie Fighter of the German Garrison and other Italian props) will be displayed. Both the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion will take part in a parade in downtown Rome near the Colosseum. Additionally: There are also two official Disney/LFL troops, for the first time, in Australia. This is cross-country, which ranges form AFL (Aussie Football) appearances to special appearances at some large shopping centers. In Perth, they will be appearing at Big W Midland Gate 1 to3 pm and Myers Karrinyup 2 to4 pm. Take time to celebrate this special day, and May the Fourth be with you! Elsewhere on or around Star Wars day . Check with your local Garrisons to find out what might be happening in your area! I believe that this is a worthwhile cause, so I felt that a reminder is in order. Sometimes blood can be shed for a good cause, and Star Wars author and honorary member of the 501st Legion, Ryder Windham, is proving this by organizing a World Blood Drive event. He is asking for anyone who likes Star Wars to join him. (Make sure to check out the link at the bottom of the article and spread the word!) On June 14, Star Wars fans all over the world will participate in the first World Blood Drive. The event was inspired by World Blood Donor Day, an annual event founded by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004, and which is held every year on June 14. Like WHO, their goal is to help promote unpaid blood donations and to celebrate the generosity of blood donors. Every donation of a single pint of blood can save up to three lives. More than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day. Remember: blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from generous donors. If you are a member of a Star Wars costume club, you can contact your local blood center and help organize a blood drive for June 14. If your blood center has already determined locations for blood drives on that date, find out if you can help promote a drive at the most family-friendly location. If you are a Star Wars fan, you can help promote the World Blood Drive events in your area and invite your friends and family to attend. If you can't give blood, show your support for those who can, and have fun meeting members of the Star Wars costume clubs! Join the World Blood Drive 2014, and let's save lives together. On April 15th. Brian Muir (sculptor of the Darth Vader helmet, mask, and armor, Stormtrooper armor, and the heads of the Death Star Droid and CZ3 in Star Wars: A New Hope.) celebrated a birthday.The honorary 501st member and author of the critically acclaimed autobiography In the Shadow of Vader, turned 62 this year. Happy Belated Birthday from the FISD Brian! Buckets off to you! FISD T-shirts are still in the concept phase, but be on the lookout for these in the very near future! Current Tallies: Centurion Awards: 118 Expert Infantry Awards: 374 Will we see your name on the "honor roll" of 700 in December? Get started here! Fire Teams: 15 Troop often with the same people-in-white? Perhaps you should form a fire team! Attachés: 0 new Love helping troopers in your local area? Consider becoming an Attaché! April troops: 12 Don't forget to share your "field exercises" in the Field Training Exercises forum! It serves many purposes: to inspire others with ideas for events to remind everyone why we're out there to flaunt the beauty of the shiny white and to get the new recruits excited about their future service to the Empire And who knows, maybe your troop will be featured in a newsletter! Twitter Followers: 1448 Facebook Followers: 2515 Instagram Followers: 134 Keep up the good work, Troopers! Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st To find out what the troops are up to at any given moment, follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  7. there will be some mold release agent still on the plastic. Its just part of the pulling process. Make sure you wash each part before painting. I have a CAP armor set, I personally prefer HIPS over ABS but everyone has their own opinion.
  8. Kessel Run

    IPM

    We are looking for people to join the IPM. photographers, correspondents, or anyone just willing to help find content for our monthly newsletter. it can be TK related or anything 501st related, If you think you might be interested in helping out please PM me and we can figure it out. if you are currently a member of the IPM thank you. if you no longer wish to be part of the IPM please PM me and we can sort that out as well. thank you
  9. Looks like your cap n back got crushed in shipping, I can say that I made Centurion with one of those kits, and Scootch has always been willing deal with me if something was wrong with a part, i think this is more likely an isolated incident. which given time will be resolved
  10. your GML will already have references available to him and he will follow the same CRL you do. you can find them here just click on the armor you are submitting
  11. From the Detachment Leader XOXO from the XO From the PRO Around the Detachment ​Just for Fun Notable Troops Hello everybody! Last month was the time of the annual elections for the whole 501st Legion, including FISD. Although I found it unexpected, it turned out that I was elected the Detachment Leader of FISD for the forthcoming 12 months. For that I am grateful, and hope to carry the torch as well as my predecessors. I have a few ideas I would like to implement during my time, most of which are still just ideas however, and will be announced at a more appropriate time. But one thing I have created already is the Replica Section. It is a dedicated area for discussing how the original Stormtrooper suits were made. It is not meant to influence the needs or wants of 501st troopers, and is purely for collecting that sort of information in an organized manner that has before now been spread out across the entire forum, and very difficult to find for those that are interested. I also have made a few changes to this years staff. My predecessor Eric, aka Darth Aloha will act as my XO, while the previous XO, Ingrid aka LadyInWhite is taking a break from the heavy staff duties but I'm sure will not be able to stay away for long. Furthermore Sam, aka Kessel Run is taking on the full force of Public Relations and the Armourer Steve, SW1 gets some backup from his Garrison CO, Gary aka 89batman and Billy aka Billhag who is equally famous for his humour as his helpful infographics known to some as "Billygrams". That is all from me this time. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Mathias Rodstedt, TK-2959 "Locitus" Detachment Leader XOXO from the XO You thought you were rid of me. You were wrong. Mathias asked me to help out and I could not say no. I intend to enjoy the lower pressure position but still remain an active staffer and member of the community. Mathias and I have been bickering over some manner of instant messaging and chat for a few years. I consider him a close internet friend. With that friendship comes a surprising level of honesty. That openness and honesty has made us a formidable team be it gossiping on skype about Legion related drama, maintaining the forum's server and database, when the DL disappeared and he and I ran FISD "Lord of the Flies" style, to us as fellow staff members, or when he was my Deployment Officer. We often disagree but do so with an almost annoying level of respect for each other's opinion. FISD, please be afraid of the two sysadmin nerds who have been and continue rule the land. What is XOXO from the XO? This is my space to share forum content that I am interested in, or find funny. I will post links and photos to things I find myself hitting the "follow topic" button or realize that I keep going back to a thread for more. Starting with the first Concept Trooper build thread to get into the details of putting together one of KW's Ralph McQuarrie TK kits. TMacken's thread are what I find myself reading and following the most right now. The best part of FISD are the people who post build progress in detail for us to live vicariously through their build. Travis is posting his questions publicly and by doing so shows the Troopers Helping Troopers spirit. Stock up on your bondo and check it out if you are considering getting your RMQ TK built and approved. This seems like a lot of parts! If it isn't obvious by now I am a build thread junkie. One of the most entertaining of late has been Diana's RS build. I almost decided not to mention her build because she already has a mention in this newsletter. Laughing in the face of epic trimming trauma Diana wins the "best attitude" award. The RS kit is not the easiest to build. To me it looks challenging. Maybe off the internet more than a few armor parts went flying across the room as she and her husband are toiling away. Here on FISD she is all smiles, humility, and hard work. My only wish is that she post larger photos of her progress. No matter what I have no doubt her Centurion will be an easy pass. Clamps are the new black. The other thing I am paying close attention to is not FISD related. If you do not frequent the 501st forums you may not have noticed that the Legion Council is now a public forum. I do not know if the council members will feel as free as they had been when the forum was closed. Either way I am looking forward to peering behind the curtain to see how Legion sausage is made. If you ever have any questions about anything Legion or FISD related my PM and email door is always open. With Unquestioned Loyalty and Aloha.... Eric Brager TK-9674 "Darth Aloha" Executive Officer I again have the privilege of serving as your Public Relations Officer for this year, and would like to Welcome and thank Glen "gmrhodes" for taking on the roll of Assistant PRO. It's a team effort to produce a newsletter every month, and It couldn't be done without the suggestions and submissions from the staff and members of this community. We are always looking for content that is relevant to the veteran troops, as well as the new recruits looking to join our ranks, if you have something that you think would make a good addition to this newsletter, please let us know. Anything from a Tip, to a troop, to a special trooper, or even just something you think is fun may be considered, so don't be shy. We currently Have 363 EIB troopers, lets see what we can do to push that up to 400 and beyond, our attachés and members are here to help, so ask questions. Above all else Have fun, and remember our motto of "Troopers Helping Troopers". With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer Greetings to all, and happy Legion New Year! I'm still around batting my eyelashes at the brass, and I will continue helping out where needed given some new real-life demands on my time coming up (JOB!). This community means a lot to me and I can't let the boys get too cocky with their fancy titles and delusions of grandeur. Well, maybe some grandeur would be well deserved... Current Tallies: Centurion Awards: 110 Expert Infantry Awards: 363 Are we going to make it to 700 this year? It's time for everyone to step it up. If you know someone who is close but hasn't applied, help them out and encourage them to do so. Been procrastinating that honor yourself? Get it done, it's not too much extra work! We would love to see your name on the "honor roll" of 700 in December! Fire Teams: 15 Troop often with the same people-in-white? Perhaps you should form a fire team! Attachés: 2 new BJ "bjsavage7" Savage, TK-5955, Florida Garrison Squad 7 (Florida) Steve "southsidetrooper" Racine, TK-10651, Northern Darkness Garrison (Indiana) Twitter Followers: 1356 Facebook Followers: 2362 Instagram Followers: 93 Here's a question for you - What would you like to see on the social media? I've opened a thread here to solicit your suggestions. Keep up the good work, Troopers! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 "LadyInWhite" Imperial Propaganda Machine We received a message from one of our newer recruits " AsBlondeAsLuke", who is close to finishing her armor. She was kind enough to share the following.: I'm a new trooper just finishing up my TK build for the Golden Gate Garrison. Kyle, TK-91305, has been acting as my mentor. He's been terrific about sharing his time and insight and it has been a great help to me. I recently went on a trip to Asia and brought along one of Kyle's trading cards. The result was "Where in the world is TK-91305." It is hard traveling with your armor. However, it is very easy travel with a trading card in your pocket. Everywhere I went around Asia, I had this stormtrooper card with me. I ended up getting some very creative pictures. Here are some pictures with captions. Comlink broke. Need to find alternate means... With the comm system down, needed to find an alternate way to contact base for further orders. Trying to decipher the mysterious codes on this communications device known as the Japanese pay phone. Nav system still malfunctioning. Have not achieved light speed as a result. Still trying to plot proper coordinates for route back to Coruscant. Will need to make major modifications on the craft's engines. Went to a more colorful part of the city known as Manila. Translator appears to be working properly. This text translated to: "Do not pee here." Apparently. this is an issue. Did not lean too closely up against sign. I'm supposed to do what in that thing? TK is taken a little aback by the Asian style refresher units. (Think of a flushing bathtub.) I want to thank Diana "AsBlondeAsLuke" for taking the time to submit this to us. There were a lot of great pictures, and I didn't have room to show them all, but maybe we can convince her to share the link. Do you have something you would like to be considered for the Newsletter? If so let us know. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer We didn't have any troops in last month's newsletter, so this month I have chosen 3 great ones to showcase. BOWL TO CURE DUCHENNE The Star Garrison attended a Celebrity bowling event for Bowl to Cure Duchenne. (photos courtesy of Megan Yenter TK-63426 www.facebook.com/vividdisaster) CUB SCOUT PACK 105 BLUE AND GOLD DINNER The Bloodfin Garrison and part of our own Fire Tean 500, took part in a Blue and Gold dinner for a special scout pack. This scout group are the only Scouts in America who donate all of the money they earn in popcorn sales each year to help disabled and needy soldiers. So far, the Scouts have contributed over $5000 in their "Half to Heroes" campaign, they've helped raise nearly $2000 to the Indiana National Guard Family Relief Fund and have shipped 75 care packages to troops overseas. In talking with the scout leader last night, we learned that these kids volunteered to donate everything on their own. Not because they had to, but because they wanted to. LOS ANGELES MDA MUSCLE WALK The Southern California Garrison, and some of our Endor Party Crashers fire team with 2 newly approved TKs, and many others who came from over 90 miles away to support this great charity event. They also brought life-sized cut-out of a little boy who is terminally ill with a brain tumor. Their mission was to take a lot of photos with "Flat Owen" to help cheer him up. Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor Now with "tip of the week" and other ongoing discussions. If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st To find out what the Emperor's dancers are up to at any given moment, follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  12. From the Detachment Leader Around the Detachment Aloha kakou, Consider this my lame duck Detachment Leader swan song before I take flight. While it is likely I will remain on staff after the new DL takes over, this newsletter will serve as my Nixonian farewell speech. I am certainly not a crook nor am I resigning, but it is with equal sadness and regret that I will not be DL in 2014. My unending gratitude goes out to my staff. Each and every one of them made me and the detachment proud. The biggest of my thanks goes to Ingrid, my XO, biggest supporter, source of cheerleading inspiration during low times, and at once an ever present devil and angel on my shoulder. Thank you. Being elected to the DL position has been a learning experience. The biggest eye opener was peeking behind the Legion curtain to my first taste of Imperial politics. I am floored by the dedication and hard work that goes into running the 501st. The passion that drives us to do what we do is white hot in the center of our organization. Toddo (and his 5 Expert Infantry awards) recently asked me what my biggest surprise was as FISD DL. The second biggest eye opener was that once you are DL no one tells you anything anymore. When I was on staff beforehand I knew every tidbit of gossip, rumor, and conjecture. When morale was low I could not escape knowing. Something happens when you are elected DL where you become a bit disconnected. Even when I was most active on the forums and read every post, I still floated somewhere above the hearsay noise floor. Looking back over my term I am most proud of the work we did in updating the TK costume requirements library. Others may not agree but I think that our CRLs remain balanced. We took all levels up a notch. The base level saw some basic modernization to keep up with the increased availability of great looking stormtrooper costumes. We took a select few requirements from level 3, or Centurion, and brought them down to level 2, or Expert Infantry, without making EIB any harder or expensive to achieve. Up in the Centurion requirements we raised the bar for the highest honor in stormtrooper costuming. My thanks here go to the LMO team for being accommodating and gracious and to Mathias Rodstedt (our fair Locitus) for his tenacity in his belief that we needed to elevate our standards. As my last and final act as the Detachment Leader of the largest detachment in the Legion was to fire off a letter to the current LMO team asking them to stop basic level approval of the FX helmet. A few FISD staffers and I crafted the letter. We then sent it out to a handful of notable stormtroopers and sandtroopers asking them if we could sign their names on the letter. In all 18 TKs and TDs signed it. As a result of the letter some interesting discussions have bubbled up. The first is mention of the animated Star Wars Rebels TK. The helmet shown in the previews and advertisements for the new cartoon show a bobbled headed helmet that have a classic FX look. What I failed to mention in my letter is that we are not asking to stop the basic approval of the FX for every costume every made. The intent is to stop approving this helmet for the existing nine TK types (not including the Concept Trooper) because it looks nothing like the helmets used on movie and video game screens. If there comes a time when we have enough reference material I see no reason not to create an approved Rebels TK costume. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin Weir has not started work on it. There is no mechanism within the Legion charter and operating protocols for members to keep their costumes up to date based on existing standards. Nor is there a way for GMLs to officially recheck someone's costume. That means that the only recourse we have is to stop the new approvals using this helmet. No one can ask members with existing FX helmets to upgrade their buckets much less paint their big black ab buttons blue and gray. Grandfathering is our only recourse. The other rumbling I heard is a few members complaining about "a small group of people on the internet voting that the FX isn't accurate enough." To them I say: shame on you for not participating in the detachment. This type of discussion is exactly why we have detachment forums. All changes are voted on here on FISD before anyone edits the CRLs. If the number of people who voted to grandfather the FX helmet seems small, that means the members who complain about how few people have a say are the exact reason the number is small. If you feel strongly either way about grandfathering the FX helmet please contact the Legion command staff, including the LMO team, and express your concerns. Use the "write your congress-person" model and let your voice be heard. My last request as your Detachment Leader is to leave the FX helmet discussion off this thread. If you want to argue and flame about it please search for a previous thread on the subject or start a new one. If you have not voted in the Legion elections, you only have a few hours to do so. Please stop hitting reload on the new posts page on FISD and go vote. Good luck to all the DL candidates. It has been on honor serving as FISD's DL. Mahalo nui loa. With Unquestioned Loyalty and Aloha.... Eric Brager TK-9674 "Darth Aloha" Detachment Leader Current Tallies: Centurion Awards: 106 Expert Infantry Awards: 350 Fire Teams: 15 Attachés: 2 new Twitter Followers: 1171 Facebook Followers: 2171 <-- okay that is just weird... 1171 and 2171? New Attachés BJ, Florida Garrison TK 5955 "bjsavage7" Steve, North Darkness Garrison TK 10651 "southsidetrooper" Keep up the good work, Troopers! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 "LadyInWhite" Executive Officer Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor Now with "tip of the week" and other ongoing discussions. If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st To find out what the Emperor's dancers are up to at any given moment, follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  13. From the Detachment Leader Around the Detachment For the New Troopers Troop of the Month Troopers, The staff of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment (FISD) managed to get caught up again in the holiday silliness and miss December’s newsletter. I once again apologize for the lack of communications from us. It was a busy few months since the last time we reached out to give you an update on the Legion’s largest detachment with most active forums. Legion elections are fast approaching. It is with more than little sadness that I announce I am not running again for Detachment Leader. Darth Life has had me in a force choke during the latter part of my term and I feel that the detachment has suffered from my absence. I do not see my personal life getting any less complicated, therefore I will not throw my hat back in the ring. If there is a member of FISD that is thinking about running please reach out and ask me questions. There is quite a bit more to being DL than appears on the surface. I promise to keep your inquires confidential as necessary. From the FISD news desk, the first Expert Infantry Badge (EIB) related achievement of note is Todd Maxfield-Matsumoto (Toddo/TK-6647) was the first to be awarded five EIB badges. Todd, one of Garrison Titan’s GMLs, seems to be some sort of Star Wars costumer hoarder. I am not sure what manner of support group he belongs in, but hopefully he has reached the first step of admitting he has a problem. According to his 501st profile Todd boasts twenty-four costumes. Of the twenty-four, five are TK and they are all EIB approved. Of the five two are worth highlighting. First is his Skytrooper. For those who are not familiar with the Skytrooper it is a TK with a jetpack as seen in the Disney’s revamped ride “Star Tours.†His Skytrooper is amazing even if you don’t think out the fact that he put it together based on poor quality videos, screen captures, and an action figure. Sometime soon I’ll be using photos of Todd’s costume for the CRL. The other of Todd’s EIB I want to highlight is his ROTJ. For most of us in the detachment, and probably the Legion too, the rubies Stormtrooper is known to cause mental anguish and heartache any time we see it. This licensed and store bought costume is so inaccurate that there is specific mention of it in the FISD costume requirements. Somehow Todd has managed to modify a rubies TK into not only into an approved costume but something worthy of the EIB award. I was stunned when I saw the application for the first time. Here are the links to all five of Todd’s approved Expert Infantry applications: Incinerator Trooper A New Hope - Stunt Expire Strikes Back Skytrooper Return of the Jedi The other EIB news story that came and went without any fanfare was our 350th Expert Infantry EIB winner. While we are now at 355 as of this writing this letter, I do not want to forget to congratulate Michael McDermott (TK-51508/McDNet) for being awarded this totally random distinction. Why is the number 350 at all interesting? It is significant because of how low it is relative to the number of total TKs in the Legion but also the compared to the previous year. My rough calculations (not including second and thirds and only counting first awards) put us at 99 EIBs awarded in 2012. In 2013 we only had 55. These numbers are a little difficult to not take personally but I am the one accountable for this dramatic dip from the previous year. In years 2011 and 2010 there were both 52 EIBs approved. Is it possible that 2012 was an anomaly due Star Wars Celebration or a general increase in the popularity of the Legion? Or did FISD become complacent with the growth of the program central to our mission? I guess the answer comes from a little bit of both reasons combined with some visible tumult within the FISD staff. Here are some statistics taken from a post from FISD’s founder Paul Hoeffer (Daetrin/TK-8020) where he throws down the gauntlet for 700 EIBs in 2014. When you look at how EIB fits into the larger picture you will understand my Paul is pushing FISD to step up its game in the coming year. Daetrin, on 14 Jan 2014 - 2:46 PM, said: Daetrin, on 14 Jan 2014 - 2:46 PM, said: How can FISD rise to Paul’s challenge? Please share your ideas in his thread about the March to 700 Expert Infantry in 2014. The last tidbit of news that may have slipped through the cracks is an amazing new space trooper in the UK Garrison. Alex Howard (Dacrates/TK-4166) built a Spacetrooper, or Zero-g Trooper, backpack with a strong attention to detail. Picking up where John Danter left off, Alex takes this little known TK to the next level. Similar to the Skytrooper, the space trooper details are gleaned from fuzzy screen captures, behind the scenes photos, and an action figure. Congrats Alex on a fine bit of craftsmanship. The backpack Alex tooping I cannot say enough that my PM inbox door is always open. Feel free to reach out to me anytime with any concern no matter how small. With Aloha and Unquewstioned Loyalty etc With Unquestioned Loyalty and Aloha.... Eric Brager TK-9674 "Darth Aloha" Detachment Leader Current Tallies:edited Centurion Awards: 107 Expert Infantry Awards: 355 Fire Teams: 15 Attachés: 0 new Twitter Followers: 1261 Facebook Followers: 2272 We have a new INSTAGRAM account - follow us at "501stFISD" for (un)official photos. Keep up the good work, Troopers! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 "LadyInWhite" Executive Officer For The New Troopers RESEARCH, you can never do too much research, apart from the deciding to purchase armor this is the next most important step. Read, read and read again and when you think you know it all read it once more. Look through the How To's and Tutorials , most of the Information you need for your build is there, If you can't find something in particular, then use the search button. This feature is one of your most valuable tools on the forum. Here are a few tips to increase your change of finding the information you need on our forum. Build threads can also be a great help, and most of the problems you may encounter have probably already been addressed and dealt with in one of these threads. If you want to be really sure you are heading in the right direction, then look at some of the EIB and Centurion threads, these people have gone the extra distance with their builds, and there is no reason you cannot as well. If you still can't find what you are looking for then ask, there is always a friendly TK or two standing by to help. If there is a wait time for your armor, you can still get ready for it's arrival, with all the extra's you will need, accessories, tools, elastic, snaps and so on. Building armor is not as daunting as it first seems if you do the research. Good luck on your TK journey With Unquestioned Loyalty, Glen Rhodes TK-85421 "gmrhodes13" Imperial Attaché What an amazing showing of field reports last month! So many commercials, birthday parties, cons, parades, holiday promotions... how can we choose? Charity is always an easy win, and having done many toy drives last month in my TK and other uniforms, I have a soft spot for these. This month's Troop of the Month is the Toys for Tots USMC Lego Weekend. Great job helping bring awareness and joy to the underprivileged recipients of the toy drive! You can see all the other fun troops shown below by visiting the Field Training Exercises! And don't forget to report your own adventures on Planet Earth, even if its weeks or months later. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 "LadyInWhite" Executive Officer Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor Now with "tip of the week" and other ongoing discussions. If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st To find out what the Emperor's dancers are up to at any given moment, follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd With Unquestioned Loyalty, Sam Kisselburg TK-85254 "Kessel Run" Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission.
  14. hey Anthony Shoot me a PM so we can discuss your Ideas please.
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