The 501st Legion The 501st Legion is a Star Wars fan club, first and foremost. But unlike traditional fan clubs where members get together at meetings to talk about their favorite subject, the 501st concentrates of researching, building, and otherwise crafting costumes from the movies, and more specifically, those of the bad guys from the Star Wars universe. What started out as a hobby for the founders of the 501st in 1997 has become a world-wide organization that has found ways to use our love of Star Wars and the craftsmanship of costuming to benefit community and charity groups everywhere. Nothing puts a bigger smile on our faces behind our helmets than seeing the awestruck look of a child when suddenly confronted by Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers. And nothing warms our hearts more than when those kids excitedly tell us how we are their favorite characters, even if Princess Leia or Chewbacca are better sometimes.... The Legion consists of over 3,000 members worldwide spread over 34 countries. And we are all united in not only our love of Star Wars, but in the community spirit that the 501st Legion embodies. Our focus on charity and involvement in community, spreading goodwill in the name of the fun of Star Wars, has led LucasFilms to recognize the 501st Legion in many ways. Our first major piece of offical recognition came from the novel Survivor's Quest by Hugo award winning author (and personal friend of the 501st) Timothy Zahn. A brief little reference to the 501st in an official work was more than we'd ever dreamed possible. But there would be more to come. The 501st was invited to participate in several high-profile events in the months leading up to the release of the final movie, "Revenge of the Sith," and in the months immediately following. 501st members appeared in New York City for the Digital Life consumer electronics convention. 501st members were invited to participate in an exclusive promotion in Las Vegas sponsored by Burger King and Pepsi. 501st members appeared on commercials for "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump himself. And 501st members appeared on stage during the American Film Institute's celebration of George Lucas. The 501st Legion was also immortalized in Star Wars canon. The 501st Legion was featured in the LucasArts video game, Battlefront II as part of the storyline feature of the game. And although not explicitly mentioned in the film itself, the 501st Legion was the army of clone troopers who accompanied the newly proclaimed Darth Vader on his assault on the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith. Garrisons? Squads? The 501st is divided into smaller regional groups, just like regional chapters of large organizations. In our case, the chapters are called "Garrisons" to stick with that military theme. Each Garrison is led by a "Commanding Officer" or CO -- the equivalent of a chapter president. Garrisons may also subdivide further into Squads for groups of members who gather together often. Squads might be considered the equivalent of a local chapter of the club. Not all Garrisons have Squads, and Squads do not subdivide any further. If a Squad becomes large enough to where that might be necessary, the Squad might consider applying to become a Garrison instead.