HOW TO: Join the 501st Legion as an Imperial Stormtrooper (TK)

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

I've been asked by more than one Imperial Cadet recently if I would make a post that details the steps involved in becoming a Stormtrooper. Here it is, and here are the steps:

 

1. Find the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment website/forums at www.whitearmor.net. You are reading this so, CONGRATULATIONS! You are well on your way!

 

2. Begin researching the available armor kits in the Getting Started section so that you can make an informed purchase, research is your best friend throughout this process: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/38-getting-started-read-this-first/

 

3. Contact your chosen armor vendor and begin waiting patiently for Big Brown Box Day.

 

4. While you're waiting, begin collecting your accessories for the build, and additionally required items like an E-11, boots, canvas belt, tools, snaps, etc. There is plenty more, but remember step #2.

 

5. Big Brown Box Day! (take pictures, this will be a day long remembered!)

 

6. Start your build thread at FISD here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/31-costuming-and-builds-501st/. Take pictures, take a deep breath, measure twice, cut once, ask questions before you do something you'll be unhappy about later, all mistakes (within reason) are fixable.

 

7. Complete the build of your High Quality Imperial Stormtrooper costume, and rejoice. It's about to get technical.

 

8. Ensure that you are 18 years old, and visit the 501st Legion website's Join Us page: http://www.501st.com/members/join_how.php

 

9. You will need to make a decision about what you'd like your TKID to be. You'll have to list five choices in your order of preference. Available numbers can be found here: http://www.501st.com/members/search_avail_ids.php

 

10. Fill out and submit the application found here: http://www.501st.com/members/join_form.php

 

11. Take your submission pictures and submit them to your Garrison Membership Liaison (GML). A list of the Garrisons can be found here: http://www.501st.com/members/displayUnits.phpIf you don't know who your GML is/or how to contact him or her, this list will assist you with that process.

 

12. After you submit your pictures to the GML, he or she will contact you (be patient) to let you know if your costume is accepted, if you need to make alterations, or whether you need to re-take any photos.

 

13. If you need to make alterations or re-take pictures, submit them in the same manner in which you submitted the first ones.

 

14. When your costume is accepted by the GML, he or she will forward your pictures to the Legion Membership Office for approval and assignment of your TKID. When your costume is accepted, all you can do is wait for an email from the 501st Legion to arrive, confirming your TKID assignment. Congratulations, and welcome to the 501st Legion, and again, be patient.

 

15. When you have received your assigned TKID, you have one more important step to complete, and that is to request Legion Access here at the FISD. You do that using this thread: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/16-501st-trooper-status-requests-include-link-to-your-501st-profile-in-your-request/In your request post, include your newly assigned TKID, and a link to your Legion profile page.

[FNGmacaroni[501st]]

Subscribed for future use and distribution!

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Oh, and TROOP!

[swibowoj[TK]]

Thank you for your detail information,

I think will make more easy explaining for recruitment.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

THANK YOU, Tim, for this comprehensive list!  I am certain this will be an invaluable resource for those of us on our way to joining the ranks, and your timing is perfect! (I am putting in my TK/HWT application this weekend).  I really hope this gets pinned, as it puts everything in a precise order and will be a great reference guide. 

Edited March 14, 2015 by justjoseph63

[Sly11[Admin]]

Great work Tim, will post the link to this on the Redback garrison boards.

[R2Dan[TK]]

This may be one way to get there, but it certainly isn't the only one. Everything up to point 8 is optional and/or could be achieved in different ways, for example "know someone who's already approved who helps you get a costume without any involvment of the FISD" or "Find a supplier who builds an application ready costume for you". Plus all the other options, it's impossible to list them all.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Not quite sure I follow, Dan..  Why would someone want to "Get a costume without any involvement of the FISD"? 

[Sir Tomasu[TK]]

Great post! 

I was exually going to make a list of my own for a upcoming presentation. Looks like I will be using yours now if you don't mind    

[R2Dan[TK]]

I'm not saying someone would want to, I'm saying it is a valid way to get your TK without any detachment involvment whatsoever and it will still get you into the 501st.

 

Say someone sees the RS guys at a convention, orders a fully finished suit and then joins the 501st. Then nothing from points 1 to 7 would have happened, but the goal would be achieved.

Or your best mate wants to join and you help him by getting him a kit, you build it together, he joins the 501st. Done, again, in a very different way than shown in this list.

 

The thread suggests the only way of being "succesful" in your application would be following these steps laid out in the first post, while it clearly is not. That's all I'm saying

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I see your point, now, Dan, thanks.  I actually looked into RS, but with a 10 month wait, and a cost of over $2400.00,(fully assembled) it was a bit out of my budget.  Besides, I had a blast (well, most of the time if you don't count the blood), and learned a LOT assembling my own armor, plus, I met a lot of great people to boot!  Thanks to their help, and patience with my unending inane questions, I just sent in my 501st application and also the submission photos to my GML. 

[JohnnyChaos]

Id say point 6 should be to start your wip on your garrison website.

[Sly11[Admin]]

Yes the 15 points are subjective, but honestly, it's not a bad idea. I'm sure Tim has the best interests of all who read it or use it, in mind. Sure there are other ways, but this is meant to be an "easy to use" for new comers that have found their way to FISD, or if you post it on your local boards, to give the noobs a route to take.

 

 

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[Tolo[TK]]

Sure the list is subjective. But, I would had love knowing about the FISD before I purchased an FX armor (a real used one from 2002) and an eFX bucket. I was pointed this out by a friend with all the best intentions in the world. But, I did not know about the FISD, would have certainly known aboit it before.

 

Plus our Garrison forum is not open to non members, it was hard for me to get se infos without the FISD.

 

 

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[Narc[TK]]

Thanks Tim! This is invaluable. I HAD a lot of great help from my Garrison as I had (almost to the point of annoying) volunteered with them as much as I could before getting in, which allowed me to get to know them and receive guidance. All of that being said, I didn't want to pester them with every little detail. This will be a big help to all of those future TKs!

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

The thread suggests the only way of being "succesful" in your application would be following these steps laid out in the first post, while it clearly is not. That's all I'm saying

Dan,

 

While I understand your point and I won't argue against it, because you are right - there are other ways to do so without ever coming to the FISD - I wrote this post specifically A: as The FISD Ambassador - the head Attache - to assist the Detachment's Attaches in doing their jobs and B: a as guide for those who find their way here to the FISD on their own.

 

There are always multiple paths to complete any objective, but there is always one path that will lead you there in the most direct and simple way. The FISD is the most direct and simple way for the overwhelming majority of the Legion's 2,791 (as of today) TKs. I can't tell you the by Garrison breakdown of where they are all located, but again, the overwhelming majority of them will never have the opportunity to see RS at a convention.

 

The UKG has that opportunity for sure, so I won't even try to tell you that the best thing for their Cadets to do is to come to the FISD after finding RS at a convention, ordering their armor fully assembled and awaiting delivery of it before submitting for Legion approval.

 

What I will say is this: The FISD is the Legion's Detachment for it's TKs - all 2,791 (and counting) of them. The Garrisons are awesome, and amazing places, and great fellowships and families within the Legion but when it comes to the TK - which is the most popular costume within the Legion's ranks, there is no better resource, or meeting point in the world for them, than the FISD. It is here that the costume standards are established so the most current information and trends will always be available and displayed here within the Detachment forums, and it is here that the largest collection of those 2,791 TKs assemble daily with the mindset of Troopers Helping Troopers.

 

I appreciate that you did take the time to chime in here, because your points as I stated earlier are completely valid and welcomed. There are, many other steps, items, ideas etc, that could be included in this document (which will ultimately be available for the Attaches to download as a PDF) but then it would become convoluted and unclear, and that is the opposite of what I was attempting to do in putting the document/post together for the Legion's TK Cadets.

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Id say point 6 should be to start your wip on your garrison website.

John,

 

The UKG is absolutely one of the most respected Garrisons out there, and I have no doubt whatsoever about the level of accurate and current assistance that their Cadets receive, but all Garrisons are not the UKG, and as mentioned earlier (by myself and others) this document is an attempt to provide a baseline for use by the Attaches in all Garrisons.

 

Starting a WIP on your Garrison boards is a personal choice (as is starting one here) but starting one here will give the largest collection of TKs in our Galaxy access to your work, and give the Cadet access to the largest collection of TKs in the Galaxy for help.

[R2Dan[TK]]

As "working guidelines" for attaches, this is clearly helpful. But calling it a how to and posting it here to me seemed both very "narrow minded" and a bit pointless, as in "preaching to the choir". I guess I'm splitting hairs here, but the title just reads so absolute.

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Perhaps it does, but it IS posted AT FISD. It also clearly states in step #1 that if you're reading this, you've already found the FISD (somehow).

 

I'll make the counter argument that calling it a how to and posting it here in the interest of helping detachment members who have found their way here is equally as helpful. I had more than one Cadet within two weeks ask me to create a step by step sort of guide for them. That means that the information was not clearly available to them anywhere that they could easily find and that perhaps the choir didn't fully know or have access to the words.

 

Every single "HOW TO" posted on this detachment can be criticized in the exact same manner. There are for instance, multiple ways to improve the appearance of your E-11's power cylinders, trim your helmet ears, assemble your helmet, make your shins fit better, or cut a Sterling magazine for use in a replica E-11. Every single one of their titles implies (if one wants to take it that way) that it is the absolute way to do that particular task.

 

I think in this instance, I'll simply agree that you're splitting hairs and leave it at that.

[HansDC[TK]]

This post is invaluable! Where were you when I decided to start building a TK Tim?

 

[CommanderZel]

I heard recently that you cannot register a TK with the 501st without first having become a member with a different costume. For example, one would have to become a member as an Imperial Officer or a Mandalorian or other, and THEN would be allowed to register a TK with the 501st. Is this an old rule? If it is, is it still in effect?

[Locitus[Admin]]

I heard recently that you cannot register a TK with the 501st without first having become a member with a different costume. For example, one would have to become a member as an Imperial Officer or a Mandalorian or other, and THEN would be allowed to register a TK with the 501st. Is this an old rule? If it is, is it still in effect?

Never been true at all.

 

Is it easier to join 501st with a different costume? Certainly. A stormtrooper is far more difficult to build than some other costumes, like a crewman. But nothing stops you from going with a TK straight off the bat.

[CommanderZel]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. Follow-up question: I also heard that there is an essay that must be submitted and I haven't seen anything about that at all

[Locitus[Admin]]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. Follow-up question: I also heard that there is an essay that must be submitted and I haven't seen anything about that at all

Essay? I don't know where you are getting your information from, but it's certainly not correct.

 

All you need is to be 18+ years of age and have a costume that meets the requirements.

[Sly11[Admin]]

Sounds like the Rebels are running some interference out there.

Lesson 1.   Don't trust the rebels, their information is dirty and underhanded at best.

They will stop at nothing to prevent/deter you from joining the Imperial forces.

 

Legion for life.