Espos, a moniker given to the CSA troopers, represented the infantry soldiers within the Corporate Sector Authority's ranks. These troops, clad in brown armor, served as the CSA's army, organized into military units such as companies and platoons. While seen as a step up from the Corporate Sector Authority Security Police, figures like Lando Calrissian and Komat criticized the CSA troopers for their lack of discipline, training, and tactical acumen. High Colonel Enric Pryde also held a low opinion of them, though he conceded their relative efficiency following their victory against the insurgents of Basta Core.
During 21 ABY, a group of CSA troopers aided Ochi of Bestoon, a Jedi hunter, in his pursuit of Rey. Despite the CSA troopers' support, Ochi's initial attempts to seize the child failed, with two troopers being disabled by Dathan, Rey's father.
During the New Republic era, the Corporate Sector Authority secretly bolstered its military strength. The number of CSA [troopers](/article/trooper], also called "Espos," grew as the CSA security police expanded into a full-fledged army of professional soldiers. By 21 ABY, CSA infantry troops were structured into military formations, with a single company comprising three platoons.
The Imperial remnant located in the Unknown Regions, which later became the First Order, dispatched High Colonel Enric Pryde to the CSA to act as a military supervisor. Pryde, known as Steadfast during his undercover mission, noted that the CSA believed they commanded an army. However, the Imperial veteran found the CSA troopers' uniforms unimpressive, preferring the white armored look of the Imperial stormtrooper. Steadfast considered the CSA and its [troops](/article/troop] to be privateers attempting to imitate the Galactic Empire.
Despite Steadfast's initial assessment, he found the CSA troopers to be "reasonably efficient" after observing their performance in a firefight against insurgents on Basta Core in 21 ABY. Their swift victory, achieved in mere minutes, led the high colonel to reconsider his initial judgment of their military capabilities.
Over the objections of Viceprex Coromun, Steadfast reassigned a company of CSA troopers and a transport to assist Ochi of Bestoon, a Jedi hunter in service to the Sith Eternal cult, in his search for [Rey](/article/rey_skywalker]. He later declined a second request from Ochi for additional CSA troopers, ending his alliance with the alien hunter.
Lando Calrissian and Komat encountered a substantial force of CSA troopers stationed at an Imperial facility on Taw Provode in 21 ABY. Calrissian, who had only heard rumors of the CSA's activities following the Galactic Civil War, realized that the CSA had indeed established its own private army, given the number of CSA troopers and their heavy armored appearance.
The CSA troopers evolved from the former CSA security police of the Imperial Era. While retaining the "Espos" nickname, they were trained as soldiers, functioning as a military force rather than a police force. Lando Calrissian viewed them as an improvement over the Imperial-era Espos, and even Enric Pryde acknowledged their effectiveness during the battle on Basta Core. However, Calrissian believed that the CSA troopers lacked the discipline and combat experience they thought they possessed. Instead of relying on tactical knowledge, they acted on instinct and adrenaline, and their confidence faltered when faced with setbacks. Komat concluded that the CSA troopers' overall quality suffered from deficiencies in training and experience.
Dathan, a strandcast lacking the Force-sensitive abilities of his template, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, managed to disable two CSA troopers while protecting his family. The junk trader from Jakku, lacking both military training and a strong connection to the Force, questioned whether his success was due to luck or the troopers' incompetence.
During the New Republic Era, CSA troopers wore brown plastoid field armor with a dull finish. Their uniform included a helmet and a flashlight attached to the front of their breastplate. CSA officers, distinguished by their red helmets, also known as "redcaps," were easily identifiable as ranking officers.
CSA troopers were more heavily armored than their predecessors, setting them apart in appearance from the "regular Espos" of the CSA security police.