Sandtroopers, Snowtroopers, etc.

[Illuminatus Primus]

The special-environment troopers are clones, keep in mind, so their minds and specialty is likely ripped from infamous commandoes or insurgents in various extreme environs.

Also, all special environment troopers are trained for Stormie duty, and much of the special environment trooper armor seems to be modular or simple modifications to the standard armor.

Its likely that much of the standard Stormtroopers are special unit Stormies cycled back into the regular ranks, and for special deployment, the Stormtroopers which are partially based in training, flash imprinting, and genetics on say...some arctic commando or mountain man from the Clone Wars suit up in their arctic gear and are re-deployed as Cold-assault troopers.

After all, the Royal Guardsmen are rotated through the standard ranks. So should special-environment troopers.

[PainRack]

Your talking over-specialization. In my personal experience, my unit was trained for desert enviroments (did training at 29Palms, my unit did time in SA ect...), we did training for temperate areas (based in San Diego), we trained for tropical enviroments (trained many a month in NTA Okinawa in Japan, Guam, ect) and trained in Mountainous enviroments (trained in Summer Mountain Warfare School and Winter Mountain Warfare School).

Basically all the basic enviroments on earth and coincidently all the enviroments shown or expected in the SW universe with the exception of extreme enviroment like radiation or Zero G. In most cases with terran type enviroments, alot of the caveats of survival and operation are suprisingly simular. It is rediculous to overspecialize to the point where you have desert troops over regular troops who have desert training.

A permenant garrison might have training above and beyond what a rapid deployment group might have or need but thats would be more to the cultural aspect or region specific information like wildlife or political concerns, not basic military and survival training for the enviroment.

If you want to argue that a permenant garrison of Stormtroopers or Imperial Army can specialize to a particular region where they are stationed, then fine but its assign to say that the Empire over trains a rapid deployment fore to such extremes as to have a desert unit onboard Naval ships and they only participate in desert operations.

'If the world is not hot, they stay in the cot.'

Bollocks. I do not disagree with you that most of the conventional environments on earth can be rapidly acclimatised to, however, it is that very fact which makes the possibility of specialised environmental troops a possibility in the Galactic Empire.

For example, sandtroopers which are outfitted for desert planets are nothing more than stormtroopers which are permantly outfitted with sandtrooper gear. At a pinch, these stormtroopers could be utilised in environments which the normal stormtroopers are expected to operate in like urban cities, normal garrison postings, jungle warfare and etc etc etc without suffering any degradation in combat ability. As such, the enhancement to combat efficiency in a specific terrain, and more importantly, the speed at which such troops can be rapidly deployed without waiting for acclimatisation and refitting does allow for an organisation as vast as the Empire to accomodate them.

[Knife]

Bollocks. I do not disagree with you that most of the conventional environments on earth can be rapidly acclimatised to, however, it is that very fact which makes the possibility of specialised environmental troops a possibility in the Galactic Empire.

For example, sandtroopers which are outfitted for desert planets are nothing more than stormtroopers which are permantly outfitted with sandtrooper gear. At a pinch, these stormtroopers could be utilised in environments which the normal stormtroopers are expected to operate in like urban cities, normal garrison postings, jungle warfare and etc etc etc without suffering any degradation in combat ability. As such, the enhancement to combat efficiency in a specific terrain, and more importantly, the speed at which such troops can be rapidly deployed without waiting for acclimatisation and refitting does allow for an organisation as vast as the Empire to accomodate them.

Ah, damn. No comment on the (non)official motto of the desert troops

Anyhoo, so if a standard stormtrooper is trained to the point where he can adaquetly operate in most habbitable enviroments but are then over specialized to operate in a specific terrain, what the hell is the special training for a specific terrain.

If all troopers are trained enough to operate in most habitable terains in a pinch, why would they go through the trouble of super uber training on shock troops. Thats way too much training and trouble than to just give the rudimentry and basic training on varible enviroments and let them go.

Yes the Empire could probably do it but it comes under the idiotic notion of a fleet of Death Stars. You can do it but it really at the end of the day it doesn't do anything for ya. All that overspecialization when the rest of the Stormtrooper Corps. has the necessary knowledge and training to operate in the same terain is only a waste of time and resources.

[PainRack]

Anyhoo, so if a standard stormtrooper is trained to the point where he can adaquetly operate in most habbitable enviroments but are then over specialized to operate in a specific terrain, what the hell is the special training for a specific terrain.

If all troopers are trained enough to operate in most habitable terains in a pinch, why would they go through the trouble of super uber training on shock troops. Thats way too much training and trouble than to just give the rudimentry and basic training on varible enviroments and let them go.

Yes the Empire could probably do it but it comes under the idiotic notion of a fleet of Death Stars. You can do it but it really at the end of the day it doesn't do anything for ya. All that overspecialization when the rest of the Stormtrooper Corps. has the necessary knowledge and training to operate in the same terain is only a waste of time and resources.

Its not about the rest of the stormtrooper corps having the knowledge and training, its about having a ready corps of specialised units ready to move out at a moment notice.

Reconfiguring a division to operate in desert/artic etc etc etc would be simply too much of a waste in time, resources and hinder deployment of troops, especially in a scenario where time is of the essence.

[Knife]

Its not about the rest of the stormtrooper corps having the knowledge and training, its about having a ready corps of specialised units ready to move out at a moment notice.

Reconfiguring a division to operate in desert/artic etc etc etc would be simply too much of a waste in time, resources and hinder deployment of troops, especially in a scenario where time is of the essence.

Almost as much of a waste of time either waiting for approprate forces to show up to handle the situation or to have approprate forces on board but having many many more (accounting for snow troopers, regular troopers, scout troopers, swamp trooper) around four times as many, just sitting around while in this one particular instance, the desert troopers go down to deal with the problem.

Its way 'over specialization' especially when the other troops know the basics (or more) of operating in that terrain.

[PainRack]

Almost as much of a waste of time either waiting for approprate forces to show up to handle the situation or to have approprate forces on board but having many many more (accounting for snow troopers, regular troopers, scout troopers, swamp trooper) around four times as many, just sitting around while in this one particular instance, the desert troopers go down to deal with the problem.

Its way 'over specialization' especially when the other troops know the basics (or more) of operating in that terrain.

1. We do know that hyperdrive speeds mean transit time at most is cut down to a day. Given the need to rapidly deploy troops from a central base of power, there goes your first objection.

2. You once again miss the point. If snowtroopers can operate in the regular confines of starship combat, then, what harm is there in configuring a regular stormtrooper division into snowtrooper? The snowtrooper division will gain advantages when operating in artic environments, and for the rest of the regular missions stormtrooper draw like garrison duty, urban combat, starship combat, escort and etc etc etc, snowtroopers can perform just as well as stormtroopers.

[Lord Pounder]

Actually i do believe that there are specialist corps of troops. In the Thrawn trilogy, the battle of Billibring to be exact, there is mention of SPACEtroopers, they have specialist equipment and armaments.

Perhaps the same was needed for other environments. I'd say that troopers in a the desert would need different armour and modified weapons to account for the heat, sand etc.

[Stark]

'Generic' troops wouldn't need extra training beyond what could be flash-learnt during the trip, unless the environment is toxic, insidious, corrosive or something. I'd agree that each unit of Stormies probably has a particular specialty that suits them to different environments, given the quick deployment options. Space troopers are a stupid idea for anything other than fighting on the exterior of ships, since their weapons and maneuveur would be distinctly inferior to a starfighters'.

Actually, since hyperdrive is so fast, the actual shuttling of troops about and fleet ralling would probably limit fleet deployment more, unless Acclamators are just lying about in the middle of barracks waiting to be loaded.

[Isolder74]

Spacetroopers are used to rapidly board and capture enemy ships when they least expect it

[Kurgan]

So, this begs the question, why didn't the Empire station camo+jungle ready troops on Endor in ROTJ?

A combination of incompetance and arrogance?

With hyperdrive it's not like it would be hard to ship them in if they were needed.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Because that kind of armor isn't part of the standard-white modular package, and that legion had probably just been dropped in.

[Kurgan]

So how long had the troops guarding the Shield generator (of which we saw only a small fraction in the movie since the Rebels took a secret lightly-guarded back entrance) been on Endor?

6 months?

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Why would the Empire had needed to issue camo-coloured armour to scouts and troops stationed on a Super Duper Double Top Secret location like Endor?

[Rogue 9]

Because it was intentionally not so secret. "It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator..."

[Lord Pounder]

Bad writting on Lucas's part. According to EU the Empire learned from that mistake and began issuing camp armour to jungle troops.

[Galvatron]

Imperials don't seem to place too high a priority on stealth. They rely more on overwhelming numbers and firepower.

[Kurgan]

So a combination of arrogance and incompetance...