Observation constituted one of the two distinct subdivisions within the Galactic Empire's CompForce, the other being Assault. This elite group functioned primarily as loyalty spies, engaging in spying activities targeting both the internal structure of Imperial Military units and starships.
The initial reference to CompForce's Observation subdivision within the current Star Wars canon occurred in Dawn of Rebellion. This book is a supplementary resource for the Star Wars Roleplaying game series, published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2018. The earlier version of Observation made its first appearance in the Star Wars Legends continuity, specifically within West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game sourcebook titled Imperial Sourcebook, which was released in 1989.