Pauldron colors = rank?

[TK-9805]

Hi all! Maybe someone here can answer this questions for me, or show me where to go to find out.

 

I was just getting ready to order a pauldron and I was trying to decide on a color. I know that the higher ranking officers tend to wear orange or red and the sargeants wear a white, I think, and the "grunts" wear black. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong) I noticed there was an option for a blue pauldron also.

 

Anyway, my question is this: what designation or rank is a blue pauldron, or does it even show up in the movies?

 

Thanks everyone!!!

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Only three colors show up in ANH: black, white, and orange. The "grey" is actually a mistake by a toy company and is really very dirty white, and as such is not considered canon. There is also the option of "no pauldron" conveying rank, as several sandtroopers were pauldron-less.

 

They are supposed to denote rank, but which is which was never determined at the time of filming. It's presumed that orange is an officer of some kind due to the "look sir, droids" line, and the fact that an orange is leading the groups in most scenes.

 

At least two systems were created that you can find online, and you are free to follow one of them invent your own.

 

The typically guidance is to pick the one that looks aesthetically pleasing to you.

[TK-9805]

Thanks Paul!

 

I was wondering how "strict" the hard-core troopers were in accuracy, if at all.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I think most garrisons operate under the premise of using common sense. If you're at a con, you can do whatever you want and even have a cow-hide pauldron. If you're at an event where it's a little more formal, sticking to standard colors is a safe bet, though you can still probably get away with wearing one with your TK.

 

At a canon event however, well you have to be canon , so no pauldrons, etc.

[steelgrip]

i saw an auction on e-bay where the guy was selling a blue pauldron...what the heck is that?????????

[Apollo]

BF ARC troopers use blue sandy pauldrons, but I'd bet that the one you saw was just made because it looks cool. There's some garrison that uses blue pauldrons to identify themselves as well.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

FWIW, ARCs use a different pattern than sandy's, so they are not interchangeable.

[Guest Bezerkus]

I also read somewhere that the officers that wore paldrons with armor while in harsh environments, but when coming back aboard ships or stations they reverted back to the black dress uniform and the grunts stayed in their trooper armor. I just thought that was interesting.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I think that's the most plausible explanation I've heard yet. But as not every sandtrooper had a pauldron, I'd think it would have worked out:

 

Orange = commissioned officer

Black|White = senior non-commissioned officer (e.g. E6 or E7 +) (I'm guessing black)

Black|White = junior non-commissioned officer (e.g. corporal, sergeant, maybe staff sgt) (I'm guessing white)

no pauldron = enlisted (non NCO)

 

I figure black is the senior to white simply as it makes the most sense in terms of color progression.

[TK8280]

I think that's the most plausible explanation I've heard yet. But as not every sandtrooper had a pauldron, I'd think it would have worked out:

 

Orange = commissioned officer

Black|White = senior non-commissioned officer (e.g. E6 or E7 +) (I'm guessing black)

Black|White = junior non-commissioned officer (e.g. corporal, sergeant, maybe staff sgt) (I'm guessing white)

no pauldron = enlisted (non NCO)

That’s one of the best analogies of the pauldron chain of command that I have heard ..all the other colors are just made up by over active imaginations

[TK-9805]

WOW! This generated some cool discussion!

 

Paul, I like your breakdown. Guess the blue was just to complete the "color wheel".

[Guest Bezerkus]

CarolinaNewbie70 said:

Paul, I like your breakdown. Guess the blue was just to complete the "color wheel".

 

Or that's what the motorcycle shop was selling,

 

I like your order too Paul, I would only guess the white as a higher rank due to the order they we're marching in...anybody's guess, but fun to speculate...

 

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[TD2802[501st]]

If the high-end toy companies who are officially licensed to manufacture and sell figures of the sandies are any indication, then the color ranks for the sergeant and corporal are close to what was speculated here earlier. Koto (and maybe Medicom) designate the black pauldron as a corporal while the white is a sergeant or NCO. However that may be more for marketing purposes and certainly not likely to resolve anything.

[TomaToNOR[501st]]

The official colors are listed at the bottom of this page: http://www.starwars.com/databank/organizat...troopers/?id=eu

 

BUT, this is for Sandtroopers.

 

In several comic strips, I've seen ordinary TK troopers wearing pauldrons, but then it's usually only the captain or CO wearing one.

 

My best guess is, that the coloring system of Sandtroopers can be used by ordinary TKs as well.

[TK8280]

The official colors are listed at the bottom of this page: <a href="http://www.starwars.com/databank/organizat...troopers/?id=eu" target="_blank">http://www.starwars.com/databank/organizat...troopers/?id=eu</a>

 

BUT, this is for Sandtroopers.

 

In several comic strips, I've seen ordinary TK troopers wearing pauldrons, but then it's usually only the captain or CO wearing one.

 

My best guess is, that the coloring system of Sandtroopers can be used by ordinary TKs as well.

Thats just starwars.com what do they know?

[Daetrin[Admin]]

The official colors are listed at the bottom of this page: http://www.starwars.com/databank/organizat...troopers/?id=eu

 

BUT, this is for Sandtroopers.

 

In several comic strips, I've seen ordinary TK troopers wearing pauldrons, but then it's usually only the captain or CO wearing one.

 

My best guess is, that the coloring system of Sandtroopers can be used by ordinary TKs as well.

 

'Cause in "real life" TK & TD are one and the same. Also, now you're talking EU. All bets are off...

[Sgt Steve]

From what I seen the orange paldron is for a "Commander who leads 7+ troops". Hell in the Canadian a Sgt leads 10 to 12 troops. We call it a Section Commander.

[Marvinrobot]

I was once a real life section commander and in the US Air Force that job is often held by Lt's and Capt. Capt's generally work much larger squadrons. The Section Commander is in essence the Squadron Commander's #2 administratively but not operationally. Generally you see a director of operations or DO who is either same or one rank lower than the commander as the operational #2. Back on topic, I was actually warned by some of my Garrison mates that they have actually been to events where folks got bent out of shape for a junior 501st (less time trooping) wearing an orange or white pauldron. In my garrison the black was considered the grunt E1-E3. But hey it's just a hobbie...right?

[TD2802[501st]]

But hey it's just a hobbie...right?

 

Yes, it is.

[Sgt Steve]

Hell ya it's just a hobbie, I like blood red more the orange any way

[thon2009[501st]]

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Edited December 15, 2020 by gmrhodes13
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[Amish Trooper]

What about the field training officer pauldron? I never seen it shown anywhere.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

That's because it only exists on that seller's Ebay auctions. They are not referenced anywhere else - entirely a fiction of his own creation.

[Amish Trooper]

That's because it only exists on that seller's Ebay auctions. They are not referenced anywhere else - entirely a fiction of his own creation.

Well that definitely saves me money. Thanks! So White it is then.

[Sgt Steve]

To be honest here, for the first 3 movies, the "trooper" was never really to be other then the "nameless/faceless" arm of the Emperor. Even George was thinking that. And he made the flik's! The only time we see even a bit of "rank" is with the Sandtroopers, why only them seem's to be because it looked cool. The "first" three EP1 to EP3, was better thought out, so we see rank with the clones. ARC Trooper Capt's=red, Commanders with the yellow or gold, it was to be LT=Blue, but thats with clones, so TK's are just......well....TK's!