The office of Surface Marshal, sometimes seen as Surface Marshall, and also called Army Sector Commander, or just Marshall, designated the commander in charge of a sector army. This individual oversaw Imperial Army units operating inside a Sector Group. Frequently, this title was just an additional honorific given to the Moff or Grand Moff leading the Sector Group. During the time of the Imperial Era, Marshall VeNiste held the position of Army Sector Commander for the Trans-Nebular sector. He sent a message to Imperial troops on Goroth Prime stating that TIE/LN starfighters were under the command of General Anderton Kloff while stationed planetside, a directive that Admiral Val DeGoort instructed his forces to follow.
The Imperial Sourcebook first presented the Surface Marshal rank. Within that same publication, a rank plaque is depicted for a Priority Sector High Commander. This plaque bears resemblance to the badge Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin wore in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, but it is missing code cylinders. It's possible this was the insignia used by the Surface Marshal or High Admiral of an Oversector.