What Was Leia's Military Background?

[Aaron]

In ANH Leia appears to merely be a senetor, granted she can shoot but that might just be a hobby for her. In ESB however we see her serving in the Command Post of Echo Base, presumably in some sort of military capacity. As there didn't seem to be any need for her diplomatic skills.

And in ROTJ we see her serving as a commando on Endor. So I'm curious, did she serve with the Alderaan Defense Forces before becoming a senetor, or did the Alliance train her afterwards? Even if she was trained by the Alliance, why was she serving as a commando, I would think that her skills as a diplomat would be far more valuable than any combat skills she may have.

[The Original Nex]

Being a member of the Royal House of Alderaan, she was probably already well trained in several combat techniques. She was probably additionally trained by the Rebellion as well, aster her stint as Senator ended and she had more regular contact with the Rebellion.

And in ROTJ we see her serving as a commando on Endor.

Minor nitpick: she's part of the "Command Crew for the shuttle," not actually part of the Strike Team.

[Coyote]

Alderaan was peaceful and eschewed military... stuff. Or so I wa sunder the impression, anyway.

Her shooting was pretty amateur in ANH, but by RotJ she'd been hanging with the Rebellion for some time and probably just picked up some basic skills by association.

[The Original Nex]

Alderaan was peaceful and eschewed military... stuff. Or so I wa sunder the impression, anyway.

Well, I meant in the ways of self-defense and such, rather than offensive actions.

[Knife]

In ANH Leia appears to merely be a senetor, granted she can shoot but that might just be a hobby for her. In ESB however we see her serving in the Command Post of Echo Base, presumably in some sort of military capacity. As there didn't seem to be any need for her diplomatic skills.

And in ROTJ we see her serving as a commando on Endor. So I'm curious, did she serve with the Alderaan Defense Forces before becoming a senetor, or did the Alliance train her afterwards? Even if she was trained by the Alliance, why was she serving as a commando, I would think that her skills as a diplomat would be far more valuable than any combat skills she may have.

The Rebel Alliance was individual groups of rebels coordinating with each other, or atleast in the begining. In ANH, Princess Leia was sent by her father to find Obi Wan, to help 'him' fight the Empire. Bail Organa was financing his own little resistance cell (even if that cell was cooperating with others in the Alliance). When he died, its obvious that Leia more or less took over political leadership of that cell.

Why the Alliance itself may have continued to intergrate the various cells more and more into one cohesive organization, her people obviously liked to keep her around for moral.

Thats my take on it. Some of the EU kind of goes against that but it's my take.

[Trytostaydead]

In the new Han Solo trilogy, Winter tells Bria that she and Leia were both secretly trained under Bail's orders.

[Stofsk]

In ANH Leia appears to merely be a senetor, granted she can shoot but that might just be a hobby for her. In ESB however we see her serving in the Command Post of Echo Base, presumably in some sort of military capacity. As there didn't seem to be any need for her diplomatic skills.

She was also there in the command room at Yavin.

And in ROTJ we see her serving as a commando on Endor.

Shuttle command crew. She wasn't a commando.

So I'm curious, did she serve with the Alderaan Defense Forces before becoming a senetor, or did the Alliance train her afterwards?

Alderaanian self-defence training, likely from so-called 'security' forces. (if Naboo is any indication, it's possible these 'security' forces place an emphasis on assymetrical warfare, since they concede at the start they cannot fight a conventional war) Experience with the Alliance leads to developing her skills and she likely received training from the Rebels as well.

One of the TTT books showed that Leia knew considerable defence techniques, which Luke struggled to cope with when teaching her how to use the lightsaber.

Even if she was trained by the Alliance, why was she serving as a commando,

Again, she's part of the command crew of the shuttle, not one of the commandos. Are the crew of a Blackhawk helo SEAL trained? That said, she still looks a little out of place.

I would think that her skills as a diplomat would be far more valuable than any combat skills she may have.

Agreed. I don't know why she wasn't used in that way in ROTJ. After Jabba's palace her character didn't do anything interesting or exciting, beside the speeder bike chase. And getting shot.

[Publius]

It is noted in Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama that her status as a member of the House of Organa and a member of the Imperial Senate, with the "access to many family and government secrets" she enjoys as such, means that "she has been specifically trained and prepared to withstand conventional questioning." She also received personal instruction in marksmanship and self-defense from weaponsmaster Giles Durane in "The Weapons Master." An action figure refers to her as wearing a general's uniform on the Sanctuary Moon.

[Vympel]

Alderaan was peaceful and eschewed military... stuff. Or so I wa sunder the impression, anyway.

Leia's lies. Alderaanian gunships were present at the Battle of Endor- ROTJ novelization and Tarkin stated that Alderaan was the primary source of munitions for the Rebellion in the ANH novelization. Not to mention the planet being a Rebel leadership nexus (also ROTJ novelization). Combine this evidence, and its obvious that they were only peaceful in the sense they didn't get their hands dirty, and they sure as shit had weapons.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Might she warrant the military uniform based on her royal status. Many royals prior to WW1 would prance about in the uniforms of the highest rank of both naval and army service.

[NecronLord]

Might she warrant the military uniform based on her royal status. Many royals prior to WW1 would prance about in the uniforms of the highest rank of both naval and army service.

They still do over here.

[Mange]

Might she warrant the military uniform based on her royal status. Many royals prior to WW1 would prance about in the uniforms of the highest rank of both naval and army service.

The same is still true here in Sweden. The king (reduced to a figurehead since 1971, but also in practice a number of years before that) is still admiral of the fleet and general in both the army and the Swedish airforce. He has been wearing uniform a few times, but he has been trained in the military, the situation could have been the same for Leia.

I think, which has been pointed out, that Leia, in her capacity as a member of the Organa family, had recieved military training as a natural part of her upbringing. As one of the most important persons in the Alliance, it's understandable that she was given such a high rank.

[HemlockGrey]

I always thought dispatching her on an incredibly dangerous commando mission on Endor was Mon Mothma's way of eliminating a potentional rival.

[Stofsk]

I always thought dispatching her on an incredibly dangerous commando mission on Endor was Mon Mothma's way of eliminating a potentional rival.

Then I hate to break this to you buddy, but if you watch ROTJ you'll see that Leia volunteered. Since she's a senior member of the Alliance, it may well be her prerogative to accompany Han et al on the Tyderium. Where was Mon Mothma? If she was on Home One then she was at risk herself, so she can't complain. How can she order Leia to not go on the mission if she herself was sitting on Home One en route to fight an Imperial fleet and battlestation?

However, I did get the impression in TTT that she was purposely trying to hamstring Leia's progress as a Jedi-in-training by giving her bullshit Diplomatic missions a dedicated DipCorps could handle. Given how essential Luke was to the war effort and the Rebel's success, it makes sense to help foster in a second Jedi for the fledgling New Republic.

Her motivation may be concern over another Jedi Council, which the twins would be charge of (theoretically, since at that point Luke and Leia were the most powerful force sensitives known to the Rebels). I wonder how ROTS will choose to portray her character? She may be depicted as a opponent to the Jedi, or on the other hand, she may be a friend of them; if so, then her motivation may be the reverse - she saw first hand what happened to the Jedi, and may not wanted Leia to experience that witchhunt a second time.

The point is, who knows? I doubt that she wanted Leia eliminated. I got the impression she considered Leia a pupil and successor.

[Medic]

Damn I remember being struck by this when I watched my new Star Wars DVD's overbreak.

While I doubt she had any official military training just knowing Alderaan was damn similar to Naboo (interesting too; her mother put her unknown daughter on a planet with an ideology similar to her own. A planet later destroyed by the Emperor's Death Star, himself a citizen of Naboo).

I remember thinking that someone like Borsk Fey'lya in the EU (one of Leia's staunch political foes) would probably try to use her military experience against her. As in micromanaging and losing sight of the big picture and going on a "vendetta" against the Empire in bloodthirsty vengeance for Alderaan and the like.

Try to ignore the humor,

[Aaron]

Shuttle command crew. She wasn't a commando.

Yet she doesn't stay with the shuttle after landing. And she fights along side of Han and the rest of the commandos. She might not be a commando but she certainly served in the role.

[Stofsk]

Shuttle command crew. She wasn't a commando.

Yet she doesn't stay with the shuttle after landing. And she fights along side of Han and the rest of the commandos. She might not be a commando but she certainly served in the role.

Hey, don't look at me, I didn't write it.

We know she had some form of training from Alderaan (possibly military, which as I said may have placed an emphasis on assymetrical warfare which would aid her in being a resistance cell leader), and we know she gains experience: on the Tantive IV, the Death Star, Yavin and Hoth (in a command and advisory role), and Bespin (she was taking out fuckers with that carbine), and Tatooine (infiltrating Jabba's palace and assassinating the crimelord). Plus all the stuff in between, like Shadows of the Empire.

She's got healthy experience to put on the table at Endor, IMO.

[PainRack]

Yet she doesn't stay with the shuttle after landing. And she fights along side of Han and the rest of the commandos. She might not be a commando but she certainly served in the role.

None of the shuttle crew stayed at the shuttle. Chewbacca, Luke skywalker, they all accompanied the ground strike team.

[The Original Nex]

Shuttle command crew. She wasn't a commando.

Yet she doesn't stay with the shuttle after landing. And she fights along side of Han and the rest of the commandos. She might not be a commando but she certainly served in the role.

No one in the command crew stayed. Probably bacause the Imperials knew exactly where the shuttle landed and the Rebels couldn't afford to risk anyone being captured with the shuttle.