Clone Commanders in the Republic Military generally received ARC training, although some, such as Ponds, did not receive this regimen. Even so, Clone Commanders without ARC training could be trained by senior instructorsand specialize in areas such as military reconnaissance.Clone trooper officers were chosen for a program that taught clone officers to act as liaisons between Jedi Generals and their subordinate clone troopers, although some Clone Commanders might not have been includedand might not have been briefed on how to interact with Jedi high command.
Equipment
At first, Clone Commanders were identified by yellow markings on their armor.At first, Clone Commanders within the Grand Army of the Republic were equipped with standardPhase Iclone trooper armor featuring four yellow circles on the left chestplate, along with a yellow stripe running the length of each arm, vertically up the center of the helmet and laterally around the visor.Later, like other clone officers, Clone Commanders customized their armor with additional equipment, including kamas, pauldrons, rangefinders, secondary communication antennas, visors, jetpacks, pistol holsters, macrobinoculars, bandoliers, and rank insignia plaques,built-in lights, a primary communications antenna,unit affiliation markings, and more.Jaig Eyes could also be added to the commander's armor.Phase II clone trooper armor permitted greater modifications.Clone Commanders in the Republic Navy wore a blue cloth fabricuniform, black gloves, and a rank insignia plaque.
Galactic Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
"We'll promote Rex to Commander and have him lead the new division. Ahsoka can go with him as an adviser."
―Anakin Skywalker, speaking to Obi-Wan KenobiCody served as Clone Marshal Commander of the 7th Sky Corps.The rank of Clone Commander was the highest rank a clone trooper achieved, ranking above a Clone Captain.The rank had several variations, including Clone Marshal Commanderand Clone ARC Commanderfor the various positions and roles Clone Commanders held. A Clone Marshal Commander served as the commanding officer of a corps within the Grand Army of the Republic, such as Cody of the 7th Sky Corps,Bacara of the 21st Nova Corps,Neyo of the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps,and Bly of the 327th Star Corps.Other commanders who led a corps included Gree of the 41st Elite Corpsand 9th Assault Corps.Clone ARC Commanders were Advanced Recon Commandos who served as Clone Commanders.Several ARC Commanders could serve in the same unit, including ARC Commanders Blitz, Colt, and Havoc,and Hammerfrom the Rancor Battalion.Clone officers could be promoted to Clone Commander and placed in command of half of a legionor an entire division.A standard Clone Commander generally led a full regiment consisting of sixteen companies.One such commander was Tacks, who served throughout the Clone Wars.The 104th Battalion served under Clone Commander Wolffe.Clone Commanders could also lead smaller military units, such as battalions, each consisting of four companies.Among these commanders were Wolffe of the 104th Battalion,Jet of his own special operations battalion,and Crane of the One-Eighty-Fourth.Clone Commanders could also lead small specialized companies, including a company of Clone SCUBA troopers. During the war, Clone Commander Monnk led a company of such troopers.Commanders such as Ponds, who had not been trained to serve directly under Jedi Generals, could nevertheless be assigned as their second-in-command.Ponds also served as commanding officer of Lightning Squadron, a light ground cavalry squadron.
Republic Navy and Starfighter Corps
Clone Commanders also served in the Republic Navyand the Republic's Starfighter Corps.A clone trooper pilot,Davijaan, or "Odd Ball," held the rank of Clone Commander.Clone Commanders could command a Venator-class Star Destroyer or serve as part of its crew.Additionally, Clone Commanders could lead an entire flight group composed of multiple squadrons and flights.
Galactic Empire
"Impressive. The Clone Commander's new squad has followed through where his brethren did not."
―Wilhuff Tarkin, speaking to RampartClone Commander Crosshair was placed in charge of the first Elite Squad, non-clone soldiers who enlisted with the Imperial Military.The rank of Clone Commander remained in use in the Imperial Military during the early years of Sidious' rule as Galactic Emperor, while the clones continued serving as the first generation of stormtroopers. Soon after the Galactic Republic became the Galactic Empire, some Clone Commanders were chosen to lead new experimental non-clone units made up of volunteers and conscripts. The first such unit, the first Elite Squad, comprised four Elite Squad Troopers led by Clone Commander Crosshair.The clone commando Scorch served as a Clone Commander within the Advanced Science Division.
History
Clone Wars
"The droid army is in full retreat."
"Well done, Commander."
―A Clone Commander and YodaThe Grand Army of the Republic achieved its first victory under the leadership of Clone Commanders and Jedi Knights.Clone Commanders received training from Jango Fett, the clone template of the Republic's clone forces.Their debut came at the First Battle of Geonosis, where multiple Clone Commanders took part.Although members of the Jedi Order held no formal rank in the Republic Military at the time, the clone troopers and their commanders served under the Jedi, who acted as de factogenerals on Geonosis.During the battle, Commander CT-411 reported to Jedi MasterMace Windu, who commanded five specialized commando units. As Windu and other Jedi led clone troopers against an army of battle droids in the field, Grand MasterYoda directed the battle from the forward command center, where a Clone Commander kept him informed of the Republic Army's progress. Yoda praised the commander after he reported that the Separatist Droid Army was retreating.Following the fall of Geonosis, the Grand Army of the Republic gathered at the Republic capital of Coruscant. Supreme ChancellorSheev Palpatine and members of the Galactic Senate watched as the newly established Republic Military prepared for deployment: Clone Commanders and their troops boarded the Acclamator-class transgalactic military assault ships to fight the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems throughout the galaxy.During the Clone Wars a sense of mutual respect developed between the Clone Commanders and their Jedi Generals.After the Jedi assumed leadership roles in the Grand Army of the Republic, Clone Commanders were assigned to Jedi Generals. As they served together throughout the Clone Wars' many campaigns, the commanders and their generals formed relationships founded on trust and respect. General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Cody served as commanding officers of the 7th Sky Corps, including the 212th Attack Battalion.Cody was especially loyal to Kenobi,who regarded the Clone Commander as a capable officer.Clone Commander Wolffe and Jedi General Plo Koon likewise served together throughout the Clone Wars.Although the clones viewed themselves as expendable because of their artificial nature, Koon valued their lives and risked his own to protect them.Consequently, he formed a close bond with Wolffe.Under their command, the Wolfpack became one of the Grand Army of the Republic's most renowned clone trooper squads.
Treason and purge
"Commander Rex, you're in violation of Order 66. I accuse you of treason against the Grand Army of the Republic. You'll be demoted in rank from Commander and subject to execution along with the traitor Ahsoka Tano."
―Jesse, to RexClone Commanders continued to serve at the side of their Jedi Generals during the final days of the Clone Wars.Despite AdmiralWilhuff Tarkin's reservations about leadership in the Republic Military,Clone Commanders and Jedi Generals continued leading the Galactic Republic's armies as the Clone Wars reached its final year. The Republic's strategy had shifted toward eliminating the remaining Separatist forces in the Outer Rim Territories. On Felucia, Clone Commander Bly and Jedi General Aayla Secura directed the campaign,while Clone Commander Bacara and Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi led the Republic assault on Mygeeto. Other battlefronts included Saleucami,where Clone Commander Neyo served with Jedi General Stass Allie, and Bracca, a Mid Rimplanet that the 13th Battalioninvaded under Jedi General Jaro Tapal and his Clone Commander.Following the Battle of Yerbana, Jedi General Anakin Skywalker sent half of the 501st Legion to the Siege of Mandalore, forming the 332nd Division, while the rest of his forces returned to the Core Worlds to defend the capital during the Battle of Coruscant. The 332nd was formed in response to Skywalker's former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, who aided LadyBo-Katan Kryze in retaking Mandalore from the rogue Sith LordMaul and his Mandalorian super commandos. However, because Tano declined to rejoin the Jedi Order, she had surrendered her rank as a Jedi Commander and could not officially lead Republic soldiers. Skywalker therefore promoted his second-in-command, Rex, to Clone Commander, granting the former Clone Captain authority over the new division.Order 66 turned the Clone Commanders against the Jedi officers whom they had served with throughout the Clone Wars.After Coruscant's successful defense, Clone Commander Gree and the 41st Scout Battalion accompanied Jedi Generals Yoda and Luminara Unduli to Kashyyyk to protect the strategically important homeworld of the Wookieespecies. After Yoda departed, Cody and Kenobi sent their battalion to Utapau, where General Grievous had retreated following CountDooku's death. However, after the Jedi High Council's failed arrest of Chancellor Palpatine—who was revealed to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious—and Grievous' destruction during the Battle of Utapau, the chancellor ordered the Clone Commanders and their clone troopers to carry out Order 66,immediately turning the Jedi's own army against them.Except for the genetically defective clones of Clone Force 99, the behavioral modification biochips in their brains forced the vast majority of standard clone troopers to obey Order 66,including the Clone Commanderswho had worked most closely with the Jedi Generals.Across the galaxy, soldiers and commanders gunned down the Jediwhom they trusted,including Mundi, whom Bacara killed, and Secura, who was fatally shot in the back by Bly and his troops.Clone Commander Rex was accused of treason and demoted for disobeying Order 66.Sidious also gave Clone Commanders strict orders to execute any clone trooper who defied his plan to systematically purge the Jedi Order. Surgical removal of Rex's biochip, however, enabled him to defend Ahsoka Tano against his own soldiers, who remained subject to their programming.Later, his subordinate Clone LieutenantJesse accused him of treason against the Republic and announced that Rex would be demoted from Commander and executed. Rex responded to Tano that he had never liked being a Commander anyway.After becoming an Imperial fugitive, with the Empire officially declaring him dead,Rex resumed using his former rank of Captain.
Changing of the guard
"What is the status of Project War-Mantle?"
"On schedule, sir. Our top recruits are here to begin their training under their new commander."
―Wilhuff Tarkin and RampartCrosshair and Cody were both clones who served as commanders during the early Imperial Era.In the days after the Galactic Empire was formed, Crosshair became a Clone Commander, the sole member of Clone Force 99 who remained loyal to the Galactic Empire. To test Project War-Mantle's initial results, Admiral Tarkin ordered Commander Crosshair to lead a squad of enlisted soldiers to Onderon and destroy Saw Gerrera's insurgents.ES-01, one of the natural-bornhuman soldiers in Crosshair's squad, questioned the clone's fitness for command, particularly because the Empire had already begun decommissioning the clone trooper program. Crosshair nevertheless asserted his authority by executing ES-01 for refusing to carry out the mission, which involved killing the civilians traveling with Gerrera's group. The squad's success strengthened Vice AdmiralRampart's belief that the Imperial Army could ultimately become the mightiest fighting force yet seen in galactic history, provided non-clone soldiers continued learning from veteran clones such as Commander Crosshair.From 19 BBY to 18 BBY,Clone Marshal Commander Cody led a unit of clone stormtroopers in quashing a Separatist holdout on Desix. After returning to the Empire despite being abandoned on Kamino during the Imperial withdrawal and attack, Crosshair—who had been stranded on the planet for thirty-two planetary rotations—was assigned to the squad. Although he initially expected to lead it, Crosshair had not yet been cleared to resume command, but was glad to work under Cody again. Cody, however, deserted after the mission after becoming disillusioned with the Imperial cause.During or after 18 BBY,Clone Commander Mayday would die in action after a failed attempt to recapture Imperial supplies stolen by insurgents on Barton IV. Mayday's death would ultimately become the final blow to Crosshair's loyalty to the Empire.Clone commando Scorch served as a Clone Commander in the Advanced Science Divisionbut died during the skirmish on Wayland.
