Imperial Army soldiers, who also went by the name Imperial Army troopers, represented the standard foot soldiers utilized by the Imperial Army of the Galactic Empire across the expanses of the galaxy. Distinct from the renowned white-armored stormtroopers and the fleet troopers belonging to the Imperial Navy, these troopers were typically composed of young conscripts, eager to serve. Their primary role was as expeditionary forces, tasked with bringing into submission any worlds that dared to defy the Emperor's rule.
Initially, the ranks of army troopers were filled by individuals from local planetary defense forces who had participated in the Clone Wars and were subsequently drafted into the Imperial Military. These troopers frequently fought alongside the notoriously fervent stormtroopers to enhance military strength on the battlefield. Despite the significant expansion of the Stormtrooper Corps as more planets succumbed to Imperial dominion, conscripted army troopers remained a vital element of the galaxy-spanning regime, serving as a constant reminder of the Empire's pervasive presence.
During 14 BBY, Imperial Army troopers engaged in combat under the command of Moff Delian Mors against the Free Ryloth Movement, a freedom fighter alliance established by Cham Syndulla.
In 10 BBY, during the Mimban Campaign, Army swamp troopers fought alongside wet-weather gear stormtroopers against the Mimbanese Liberation Army in an attempt to secure the world of Mimban and its abundant natural resources. Among the swamp troopers was a young Han Solo, a former student of the Naval Academy on Carida who had been reassigned to infantry duty on Mimban due to repeated instances of insubordination. Solo held the rank of corporal within the 224th Imperial Armored Division, an army strike force tasked with pacifying the Mimbanese guerillas.
Also involved in the battle for Mimban was Beilert Valance, who had trained alongside Solo at the Carida Academy. Due to injuries sustained during the mission on Qhulosk, Valance was unable to complete his training as an Imperial Starfighter Pilot, but his fellow cadet, Tamu Dree, predicted he would re-enlist as an infantryman. Throughout his subsequent career in the Imperial Army, Valance served as both a stormtrooper and an Imperial Army trooper. As an army trooper, Valance was deployed as a swamp trooper in the Mimban Campaign and, at the cost of further injuries, endeavored to lead his men to safety. As a result of his injuries, Valance was discharged from the Imperial Military.
Despite Imperial efforts to replace Army troopers with stormtroopers, Army troopers were still part of the military in 5 BBY as the beginnings of rebellion began to emerge. Army troopers were stationed on planets such as Aldhani, which housed an Imperial garrison of Imperial Army troopers stationed within the Aldhani dam under the command of Commandant Jayhold Beehaz. Meanwhile, the Alkenzi Air Base was staffed by both Army troopers and stormtroopers.
An elite group of Imperial Army troopers, known as Imperial security troopers, formed the majority of the Ferrix garrison, supporting the stormtroopers also deployed to Ferrix. In response to the Ferrix community's funeral procession for the recently deceased Maarva Carassi Andor, security troopers were deployed to block the civilians' path. The crowd turned violent following Andor's pre-recorded speech urging resistance against Imperial oppression and Captain Vanis Tigo's angry reaction—flipping over Andor's droid B2EMO. Security troopers maintained a shield wall against the rioting civilians until Wilmon Paak launched a homemade explosive into the Imperial position. Supported by the gunfire of stormtroopers, the army troopers directly engaged the protesters in the final stages of the uprising on Ferrix.
During the conflict for the Deep Core planet Troithe, Imperial Army troopers were stationed as part of the Imperial garrison on the planet, defending it from the invading New Republic. During the battle for the capital, army troopers retreated alongside stormtroopers to the Tri-Central Complex to establish a more defensible position.
An Imperial mudtrooper helmet was acquired by the collector Dok-Ondar at some point and displayed on the wall in his Batuuan store, Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities in Black Spire Outpost.
Imperial Army troopers were equipped with a suit of armor similar to Imperial officer battle armor, which protected the torso, shoulders, and upper arms. Polarized goggles and respirator masks could be provided to filter out toxic substances in hazardous environments, as demonstrated on Mimban. The equipment also included optional helmets, shin guards, and colored bicep bands that indicated the trooper's rank, with red signifying a soldier and white indicating a medic. As observed within the Aldhani Garrison, troopers could opt out of wearing the combat helmet in favor of an Imperial kepi. Troopers wore olive green utility fatigues and gray armor. Elite security troopers, such as those in the Ferrix garrison, were issued black utility fatigues and matching black armor.
As frontline combatants of the Imperial Military, Army troopers had access to the extensive arsenal utilized by the Galactic Empire. Their weaponry included the E-10, E-10.5, and E-11 blaster rifles. Other blasters used by the infantry included E-22 reciprocating double-barreled blaster rifles, SX-21 pump-action scatter blasters, DLT-19 heavy blaster rifles, and blaster pistols such as the EC-17 hold-out blaster. Troopers stationed in urban garrisons, such as the deployment on Ferrix, were also equipped with non-lethal riot gear, including ballistic shields and batons to suppress citizen uprisings and protests. These units were specially trained to form multi-layered walls with their shields and occasionally allow snatch squads to emerge, seize protesters near the wall, and pull them back behind it for arrest.
- Imperial Army Special Missions troopers — Highly skilled special forces personnel, these troopers were deployed on dangerous black-ops missions for Special Forces Command and operated as snipers, saboteurs, commandos, assassins, and slicers. They were fully aware that they were expendable resources. [20]
- Imperial security troopers — Elite Army troopers [2] deployed in urban environments [17] to maintain Imperial order. [2] Security troopers used riot shields and batons to quell civilian demonstrations. [17]
- Swamp troopers — Informally called mud troopers, Swamp troopers were Army soldiers deployed in dirty, mud-filled environments. Swamp troopers had waterproof capes to prevent mud from accumulating within the gaps in their armor. They also had breathing masks and could wear their goggles over their eyes to protect against hazardous materials. [1]