Sandtroopers, also known as desert stormtroopers, represented a specialized type of stormtrooper specifically prepared and trained for military actions in desert environments. Functioning as a distinct unit within the broader Stormtrooper Corps, these soldiers advanced the objectives of the Galactic Empire across various desert regions during its reign.
Within the organizational structure of the Stormtrooper Corps, a dedicated division emerged, referred to as the Sandtrooper Division. These sandtroopers were integral to the Imperial Army throughout the Galactic Empire's reign. They found deployment in arid desert landscapes, including the Outer Rim world of Tatooine, where they formed a part of the planetary garrison. On this planet, the sandtroopers faced challenges from the indigenous Tusken Raiders tribes. An incident occurred where two sandtroopers on Tatooine encountered a Tusken Raider youngling, and one of the troopers opted to kill the child rather than interact with the young sand person.
After a raid devastated his village located in the Jundland Wastes, a Tusken Raider youngling became separated from his tribe, ultimately finding himself in the city of Mos Eisley. Following the child's expulsion from Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina, two sandtroopers—the same pair who had previously encountered another Tusken child—arrived due to the disturbance. As they debated who would handle the young Tusken Raider, with the soldier who refrained from shooting the earlier child reluctant to touch him due to concerns about sand lice, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi intervened. Employing a mind trick on the troopers, Kenobi successfully ensured the child's return to his tribe.
Sandtroopers also saw service on the Ring of Kafrene trading outpost and the moon of Jedha. On Jedha, the Imperial garrison faced a siege led by rebel leader Saw Gerrera and his Partisans.
Under the direction of Sith Lord Darth Vader and Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, a regiment of sandtroopers was deployed to Tatooine's surface to search for the missing Death Star plans, concealed within the astromech droid R2-D2. Despite an existing Imperial presence on Tatooine, including sandtroopers, the surge in stormtrooper activity caused unrest in Mos Eisley. The sandtroopers themselves had limited knowledge of the mission, only aware that the droids they sought possessed secret plans.
Some troopers participating in the search utilized the native dewbacks as riding animals, forming mounted squads. The sandtrooper unit in which Davin Felth served discovered the droids' escape pod. Following the movement of a mounted squad under Commander TD-4445 into Mos Eisley, Foot Patrol 7—a unit commanded by Commander TD-110—was also dispatched into the town to locate the droids. After TD-110's unit spotted two droids suspected of being their targets, the stormtroopers were subjected to Kenobi's mind trick, preventing them from seizing R2-D2 and protocol droid C-3PO.
Shortly thereafter, Foot Patrol 7 arrived at Chalmun's cantina to investigate a disturbance, actually caused by Kenobi's defense of Luke Skywalker against criminals Ponda Baba and Cornelius Evazan. Realizing Kenobi was secretly a Jedi, the bartender, Wuher, provided minimal information. Consequently, the sandtroopers failed to gather useful intelligence, finding only Captain Han Solo and his First Mate, Chewbacca, at the corner indicated by Wuher. Moreover, although sandtrooper TD-7556 overheard patrons whispering about a lightsaber, he dismissed their claims. Despite Wuher's assertion that a Talz patron reported the droids heading into the desert, the Kubaz spy Garindan ezz Zavor spotted the droids and informed nearby stormtroopers.
After TD-4445 informed Foot Patrol 7 about Zavor's information, sandtroopers assaulted Docking Bay 94, where Kenobi, Skywalker, and the droids had boarded the Millennium Falcon, a YT-1300 light freighter. As Foot Patrol 7 rushed toward the hangar, the Falcon escaped, allowing the fugitives to flee Tatooine. Witnessing the starship depart, TD-7556—disillusioned with the Empire and yearning to ride dewbacks—deserted the patrol, leaving behind a sarcastic incident report.
Following the fugitives' escape from the sandtroopers on Tatooine, Darth Vader killed Kenobi on the DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station, and Skywalker later destroyed that space station during the Battle of Yavin. The Death Star's destruction, coupled with the loss of Weapons Factory Alpha, disrupted the Empire's supply lines, leading to negotiations with the Hutt Clan. Dewback-mounted sandtroopers were among the troops escorting Vader to Jabba's Palace on Tatooine for the talks. Sandtroopers later participated in the Battle of Jakku.
Prepared and equipped for desert operations, the stormtrooper armor worn by sandtroopers featured cooling fans and a helmet sand filter. They also carried an SD-48 survival backpack containing extra rations and water. Sandtroopers utilized weapons such as the E-11 medium blaster rifle, the T-21 light repeating blaster, the DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle, and the RT-97C heavy blaster rifle. The Heavy Weapons Stormtrooper variant of the sandtrooper was known as the Heavy Sandtrooper.